When It's Time To Change
by Sheilynn
Summary: HP/BTVS xover. Some changes are good, some bad - it's all a matter of how one perceives it. And death doesn't necessarily mean you're finished. Follow the journey of a young woman's adjustment to the greatest change she never asked for, life. Mix in a n
1. Of Visions and Portals

Note to Reader's, The Full Title is:

When It's Time to Change, You've Got to Re-Arrange, Who You Are and What You're Gonna Be

(The title also end's with a lot of Sha na na's, and if you understand this, you've must be as old as I am.  LOL)

A/N:  Well, after 2 years of being selfish and only *reading* stories at fanfiction.net, I thought it was about time I actually made some kind of contribution.  I'd like to dedicate this initial step into authorhood to Fyre (Fyrie on fanfiction.net), who's great advice and awesome stories gave me the courage to try my own hand at writing.  To all readers, I hope you enjoy my first chapter, and take a moment to review it.  Feel free to criticize, but please let it be the constructive kind, as flames will be tossed into the bog of eternal stench.  Now, on with the show.

Of Visions and Portals

_Blood starts it, and until the blood stops flowing, it'll never stop._

"Dawnie, I have to."

High up on an unstable platform, a young blonde woman stood gazing at the teenager standing before her.  Near the edge of the platform, a large, bright cloud crackled furiously, intermittently shooting erratic bolts of energy in various directions.  In between the crashing of lightening bolts, the cloud would occasionally disgorge a species of unknown origin, never before seen in this world, but undeniably evil, as their first actions were to add their contributions to the destruction and mayhem caused by the malevolent cloud.

Giving her surroundings a brief glance, the young woman turned back to the teenager before her.  In hushed tones, she quickly spoke to her, the look on the teenagers face changing further and deeper into one of pain, loss, and despair.  The teenager shook her head no, but the young woman continued speaking to her, until a look of understanding entered the young teen's eyes, though her expression was still pained.  

The young woman brushed the teenager's long dark hair back from her face, and gave the adolescent a loving kiss high on her cheek before she turned and ran, jumping off the end of the platform into the violent cloud.  As the young woman's body entered the brightly flashing portal, the clocks in Sunnydale, California began to chime Midnight.

**************************************************************************

In an undisclosed location of northern Scotland, a massive structure sat upon a hill, overlooking a large lake.  To the common person, if they ever chanced to stumble across it, the large tract of land would appear to be a decrepit stone structure, carrying an air of abandonment.  The remains of the construct, though, would still give them the impression that, at one time, it had been a glorious palace, reminiscent of days long past.

But to a small select community, who could see past the magical concealment, the structure stood as it always had for many centuries, a magnificent castle that drew one to it with its aura of ancient lore pulsating from every stone, enticing one to step across its threshold and embrace the knowledge it held.

To the wizards and witches that made up the small select community, this magnificent castle has always been, and always would be, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  A place of magical learning where they once attended, as would their descendents, and where now, high in one of its many towers, three young teenagers, of the current generation of students, sat in friendly companionship.

"Come on, Harry.  It's been your move for the last 30 minutes."  Ron groaned, glancing at the clock above the fireplace mantle, which read 7:45am.  "At this rate, we won't finish until breakfast…a week from now!"

Harry gave him a sheepish smile.  "Sorry Ron.  I guess I just don't have my mind on the game right now."

"S'all right mate.  After last night's disaster, I'm not really into the game either."

Sitting in front of the fire in the Gryffindor common room, Harry and Ron were playing a game of chess in an attempt to forget about the previous night's catastrophe, otherwise known as the "Yule Ball".  They weren't having much success.

"Yeah, disaster on the grandest scale."  Harry sighed.  "I thought professors were supposed to try and keep students apart, not get them together?  I mean, that's why they scour the Astronomy Tower almost every night, isn't it?"

Ron scowled.  "If I didn't know better, I'd think the 'you have to have a date' requirement was Professor Snape's evil idea.  I mean the greasy git is all for torture, but he would more likely ban anything remotely fun than put together a ball that required dates."

"Or make it a Slaughter Ball, where everyone is forced to attend, chained to their worst enemy."  Harry snorted.  "Snape would enjoy the mayhem and bloodshed, then knock off 100 points from anyone that survived."

Ron laughed.  Even Hermione giggled from her seat near the two boys, where she was reading her transfiguration book.  Though she was still a little miffed with Ron, Hermione had put aside her irritation with the redhead, in order to make the winter holidays more enjoyable for all of them.

"Yeah, then he'd make all the survivors serve detention with Filch…the old-fashioned way.  In the dungeons, hanging by…"  Ron broke off his remark when his friend gasped and clapped his hand over his scar.

"Harry?!"  Ron jumped up from his seat and rushed around the chess-board to where his friend sat, Hermione close behind him.

Harry was breathing heavily, right hand pressed firmly against the lighting-bolt shaped scar on his forehead, just above his right eye, his left hand clenching the armrest.

"Harry! Is it another vision from you-know-who?  Should I get Professor Dumbledore?"  Hermione began to panic when Harry didn't respond right away.

"No…not Voldemort."  Harry gasped out.  "Different.  Doesn't hurt. Just pressure."

Harry began hyperventilating, his eyes darting madly, as if he was watching a frantic tennis match.

Hermione gave a little scream as Harry flung himself back in his seat, his hand moving from his forehead to grip the other arm of the chair.  His scar was glowing.

Harry began to mutter, "Blood starts it.  Until the blood stops flowing, it'll never stop."

"Ohgodohgodohgod…"  Ron began to panic has he watched his best friend caught up in the throws of some kind of vision, different from the others he witnessed before, he knew, as Harry's scar had never glowed a bright white before.  "What should we do Herms?!  I've never seen his scar like that before!"

Hermione herself, with all her knowledge, didn't know what to do either.  But, if Harry's first comments were any indication, he wasn't experiencing any pain.

"I think we should let him ride it out," she said, quickly trying to calm herself, at least enough to help Harry if needed.

"But…"

"He said he wasn't in pain, Ron.  And this might be important.  The best thing we can do right now is listen to anything he might say, so we can help piece it all together for Professor Dumbledore.  Harry might not remember everything he says."

"But…"

"Ron! Shut up!"  Hermione bit out, as Harry began muttering again.  She quickly grabbed parchment, ink, and quill from her supplies near her chair, and rushed back to Harry's side.

In the silence that followed, Harry's muttering became clearer.

"Light.  Girl.  Great…Hall.  Pain."

Pushing aside the chessboard in front of Harry, Hermione quickly set down her supplies and began to scratch out the words coming from Harry's mouth, not spending any time trying to figure out the meaning of the words.  There would be time for that later.  She didn't want to miss anything Harry might say, as it might be relevant.

Harry's muttering slowed and became more coherent.  "Doorway…must be closed.  It's always blood.  Save her."

Ron gasped as Hermione continued to frantically write everything down.

"Save who?"  Ron whispered.

"Shhh."  Hermione shushed him.

His eyes still darting around, Harry's vision kept bombarding him with pictures.  He knew, somehow, that he was able to somewhat communicate the vision to his friends, though it took great effort to do so.  As the images continued, so did Harry's words, his body shaking and his hands clenching and unclenching the armrests.

"Great Hall…empty.  No one must know.  Only…Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, us.  Light bigger.  Lightening.  Pain.  Bloodflow slowing.  Dying.  Save her.  Save us."

With each word, Ron's eyes widened.  "Crikey," he whispered to himself.

Harry's eyes closed as he rasped out, "Blood starts it.  Until the blood stops flowing, it'll never stop."  

Hand shaking from the fear she felt at those words, Hermione hoped she was getting everything down correctly.

"Two bodies.  One real.  One…not."  Harry's body stiffened, eyes popping open, as he yelled out, "_Infusio corpus!"_

With his last words, Harry's scar flashed brighter, then faded to a dull glow, pulsating along with his heartbeat, but not entirely fading away.

Jumping out of his chair, Harry startled Ron into taking a step back and accidentally kicking Hermione in the process.  Having just finished writing Harry's last words, Hermione's head popped up, and she caught her breath at the frenzied look on Harry's face.

"Harry?"  Ron tentatively spoke, reaching one hand out to his friend.

Eyes still not quite focused, Harry grabbed Ron's extended arm and clenched it tightly.  "She's dying, Ron.  We have to help her.  Save her to save us."

Ron became frightened at the look on Harry's face.  He had never seen his friend this panicked, and it was scaring him.

"Who…who is she?"  Ron stuttered.

Harry released his grip so quickly that Ron stumbled.  

Pivoting away from his friends, Harry swiftly made his way towards the entrance of the Gryffindor tower, mumbling, "No one must know.  Only Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, us."

Ron and Hermione quickly scrambled after him, after grabbing their cloaks.  Hermione had the foresight to also grab Harry's cloak, along with the parchment.  She had a feeling that Harry's thoughts were focused only on finding one, or all, of the professors whose names he was mumbling over and over again.

As soon as Harry exited the tower, he broke into a run, heading in the direction of Professor Dumbledore's offices.  Ron and Hermione did their best to keep up with him, but gradually fell behind, as Harry's panicked state lent him more energy.

With each moment, and each step, Harry became more panic-stricken.  He had to find the professors, it, whatever it was, was going to happen soon…within minutes.  They had to save her!

As Harry veered into the corridor which led to Dumbledore's section of the castle, he crashed into a dark-clad figure coming from the opposite direction.  The figure grabbed Harry's arms and used his grip to push the young boy away from him.

"Really, Mr. Potter, running in the corridors is not allowed.  That will be 50 points…"

Recognizing the voice of their snide potions teacher, Harry grasped the front of the man's robes in desperation.  

Harry pleaded in a choked voice, "You have to save her!  She's dying!"

"Really Mr. Potter.  If you think your dramatics will…" Professor Snape broke off whatever he was going to say, as he noticed that Potter's scar was glowing with an unnatural light.  "What…?"

"Please."  Harry whispered, finally letting go of the tears that had built up in his eyes during his run to find Dumbledore.  His grip slackened on the professor robe, and he slumped down in exhaustion, only to be caught around the shoulders by the surprised potions master.

At this point, Ron and Hermione had finally caught up with them.  Surrounded by the two 4th year Gryffindors, who were alternately catching their breath and shouting out barely comprehensible words, the dark-haired professor could only make out "vision", "girl", and "dying".  And the young Ms. Granger was waiving a rolled parchment in his face.

"SILENCE!"  Professor Snape roared, as he still gripped the young Potter boy, who couldn't seem to stand on his own two feet.

Ron and Hermione quickly shut their mouths as the professor glared at them.

"Ms. Granger, would you care to tell me what you both are yammering about, why Mr. Potter's scar is glowing, and why he seems to have forgotten how stand?" 

Both Ron and Hermione opened their mouths to begin their shouting match again, but Professor Snape shot Ron a withering look, and Ron quickly snapped his mouth shut again.

"Ms. Granger?"

"Harry had a vision, sir, but it wasn't one from you-know-who.  He said it was different, that there wasn't any pain this time, just some kind of pressure.  We've never seen his scar glow white, and his visions usually only come out during dreams when he's sleeping.  This is the first time Harry has ever had an actual vision where he was awake for the entire process, and was able to communicate while the vision was happening.  He wasn't very coherent during the beginning, but I wrote down everything I could hear, and I think I got most of it."

With that, Hermione extended the rolled parchment to Professor Snape.

"Mr. Weasley, if you would care to take over Mr. Potter's incessant need to cling to someone?"  Snape looked coldly at Ron, as he nudged Harry in his direction.

Ron quickly slung Harry's arm over his shoulder and wrapped his arm around his friend's waist.  Though Harry was beginning to get his own footing beneath him, he was still thankful for someone to lean on.

As Snape took the parchment from Hermione, she whispered fearfully, "I think whatever is going to happen will be very soon, maybe within minutes.  Harry seemed to become more frantic every second, before we found you."

Snape quickly unrolled the parchment and scanned the contents.  His eyes grew wide, and he paled a little, though it wasn't very noticeable against his normally colorless skin.

"I believe you're right, Ms. Granger," he said calmly, as he re-rolled the parchment and handed it back to her.

"Professor?" Hermione nervously queried, as she accepted the roll back.

"Dumbledore and McGonagall are already in the Great Hall, Ms. Granger.  I would advise you to give that parchment to Professor Dumbledore, and *quietly* inform him that a portal will shortly be opening within the Great Hall.  All students should be sent back to their towers immediately, and all professors, except himself and Professor McGonagall should also vacate the premises.  Go, now.  Mr. Weasley, Mr. Potter and I will be along shortly."

Handing Harry's cloak to Ron, Hermione turned towards the direction of the Great Hall, and began to swiftly walk away, but glanced back as Professor Snape called out to her again.

"And Ms. Granger…run."

Her eyes flashed in fear, and she darted away as quickly as her legs could carry her.

Turning back to the two young boys left in his presence, Snape frostily inquired, "So, Mr. Potter, will you be forcing one of us to carry you the entire way to the Great Hall, or can you remember how to place one foot in front of the other?"

Harry quickly straightened up, removing his arm from Ron's shoulders.  "I'm OK now, sir.  As soon as I found you, the panic started to go away.  I can run if I have to."

"Very well.  Let us go quickly.  If my understanding is correct, we need to reach the Great Hall within the next four minutes.  That will give me just enough time to consult with Professor's Dumbledore and McGonagall regarding your vision, and prepare ourselves for the portal."  

Having said that, Professor Snape swiftly broke into a ground-eating trot towards the Great Hall, the two young boys scrambling behind him.  Ron handed Harry his cloak, who shot him a thankful glance as he threw it around his shoulders.  The vision had kept him so preoccupied, that he hadn't noticed how cold the corridors were.

Neither Ron nor Harry bothered to ask Snape any questions, as they knew the potions master would only growl something about not wanting to repeat himself twice.  So they kept their questions to themselves, knowing they would be answered as soon as they joined Dumbledore.

As the professor and two boys drew closer to their destination, they began passing students and teachers who were rapidly heading back to their rooms, grumbling about having to leave during their breakfast.  Many students were shooting curious glances at the three, who were heading in the direction they just came from, as it was an odd sight to see the sneering potions master being accompanied by two of his most hated students.  

Upon reaching the doors of the Great Hall, Ron and Harry saw the last of the students and teachers rapidly exiting, with Madam Pomfrey standing by the doorway, ensuring that no one lingered.

As Snape and the two young boys began to enter, Madam Pomfrey held out her hand to keep Ron and Harry from crossing the threshold.

"Professor Snape, Dumbledore requested that all students…"

"These two are to remain, as is Ms. Granger, Madam Pomfrey," Snape briskly interrupted, as he entered the hall.

"But…"

"It's all right, Poppy," Albus Dumbledore called out.  "Please allow Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter to enter.  If everyone has departed, could you please close the doors behind you, and inform Mr. Filch to stand guard and bar access to all other students and teachers until further notice.  No exceptions."

"Yes sir."

"Thank you, Poppy.  And please prepare a private room in the hospital wing.  It seems we may have a patient for you soon, but I would ask that you speak of it to no one."

"Of course, sir," Madam Pomfrey responded, shutting the doors firmly behind her as she left.

Upon her exit, there was a flurry of motion as those present made their way to the head table, knowing that time was of an essence.  Dumbledore waived his wand and muttered a locking spell on the main doors, and a silencing spell on the entire room, then motioned the potions master closer.

"Severus, if you would be so kind as to inform us of what is happening, I would be grateful," the Headmaster quietly spoke.

"To make a long story short, Headmaster, Mr. Potter had a waking vision of unknown origin.  The words Ms. Granger had the foresight to write down lead me to believe that a portal will be opening up here, in the Great Hall, within the next…" Snape pulled out a magical watch from his vest pocket, and gave it a quick glance, "…six minutes."

"How do you know it's a portal, and how can it pass through the protective barriers around Hogwarts?" Dumbledore inquired, the customary twinkle in his eyes replaced by serious concern.

Returning the watch to its pocket, Snape ran a hand through his hair in frustration, "Unfortunately, not much is known about portals in the wizarding world, as they were deemed uncontrollable, and all research was abandoned.  What *is* known is that portals are created by the bloodletting of an innocent, generally performed around midnight, using blood magic from the Ancient Dark Arts that were lost to us a long time ago.  

Mr. Potter's comment of 'Blood starting it' confirms this, along with the words 'light', 'lightening', and 'doorway'.  As to how it will get around the barriers, my guess would be that portals don't *travel* to its destination, it is created, for lack of a better term, in the specific location it chooses, thus circumventing the need to actually pass through the barrier."  Snape sighed.  "There just isn't much information about portals to do anything more than guess."

"Thank you, Severus.  Since it seems that there is no keeping it from appearing here, I believe we should concentrate on what it will take to 'close the doorway', as Mr. Potter's comment suggests we do.  From Harry's and your description of the girl, I would assume that she is not a dark wizard?"

"No, Headmaster, I do not believe she is."  Snape firmly said.

Dumbledore nodded as he gave the potions master a questioning look.  He softly said, "Am I correct in thinking that, in order to close this portal, the blood must stop flowing, which means…"

"She must die." Snape responded just as softly.

"NO!"  Harry shouted, beginning to panic again.  "You have to save her! You have to!"

Dumbledore placed a calming hand on Harry's shoulder, "Quietly, Harry."

"But Professor, if she dies, we die.  They said so."  Harry gave him a pleading look.

"They?" the Headmaster pinned him with his glance.  "Did someone speak to you in this vision?"

"No...yes."  Harry looked at the Headmaster in confusion.  "I…I don't know how to explain it.  Something…someone was there(?).  It…they…didn't actually speak with words.  I just felt it.  I just…knew(?)."

Dumbledore nodded in understanding as he asked, "Did they, or it, feel evil?"

Harry calmed down as he firmly shook his head in the negative, "No.  I don't know how I know it, but, no, they are not evil.  And neither is she."

"Professor, we have less than four minutes."  McGonagall, having quietly listened until now, softly interrupted.

Shaking himself out of the silence he had fallen into, Dumbledore glanced at all those present and asked, "Suggestions?"

"What about the two bodies that Harry mentioned at the end?  And that spell…what was it…something corpus?"  Ron, having kept silent since Snape's glare, spoke up, scratching his head in puzzlement.

"Two bodies.  One real.  One not."  Hermione's whispered, eyes widening as she made the connection at the same time as Professor Snape.

"Transfiguration!" they both blurted out.

"That's why Harry saw Professor McGonagall here!  She's the best at transfiguration." Hermione said excitedly.  "If we transfigure something into a duplicate of the girl's body…"

"…then use the 'infusio corpus' spell to transfer some of her blood into the duplicate…"  Snape quickly picked up her train of thought.

"…just enough to have it pump blood a few times…"

"…then replace the girl with the duplicate…"

"…the blood will stop flowing in the duplicate…"

"…thereby closing the portal…"

"…leaving the real girl alive.  Bloody brilliant!"  

"Language, Ms. Granger."

"Oh, stuff it!"  Hermione, in her excitement, forgot who she was speaking to.

"Ms. Granger!"  Professor Snape snapped out, a look of amusement on his face at hearing the miss-goody-two-shoes telling him to stuff it.

Hermione's eyes widened, her mouth forming into a big O as she realized her gaff.  "Oh, I'm sorry Professor!  I…I guess I just got too excited."

"Forgiven…this time, Ms. Granger."  

"What should we use for the transfiguration process?  And how will we get the blood to start flowing in the duplicate?"  Hermione nervously asked, thankful that she hadn't lost any points for her house.

"I believe the enervate spell will be just the trick to get the blood pumping.  As for the object to transfigure…"

As Hermione and the (usually) snarky potions master debated over the pros and cons of various items, the others, having watched the rapid exchange of the two, had varying expressions on their faces.  The professors, amusement.  The two boys, horror.

"That was scary," Ron whispered to Harry, eyes wide, face pale.

"You're telling me?!  I pictured a female version of Snape when Hermione started spouting…"  Harry broke of with a loud gasp, hand clapping to his forehead.  

"Professors!"  Ron yelled out as he watched his best-friend clutching his forehead again.  Ron maneuvered Harry to the nearest bench, making him sit before he fell down.

Four heads shot up at Ron's yell, and they hurried over to where the two boys were.

"It's coming," Harry gasped out.  His scar was once again beginning to glow brightly underneath his hand.

"But what shall we use…" Hermione began speaking.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, just grab the nearest bench.  The mass to mass equation doesn't need to be perfect."  McGonagall snapped out in exasperation.

As Hermione and Professor Snape hurried to grab a bench, Dumbledore cleared the tables from the center of the Great Hall with a flick of his wand.

"How should we coordinate this, Severus?"  Dumbledore asked, as the two returned to the center of the room with the bench.

"As soon as the portal opens and the girl is visible, McGonagall will need to transfigure the object into the duplicate as soon as possible.  I will need to get as near to the girl as I can, in order to perform the infusion spell, and in preparation of pulling her out.  While I am preparing to do that, McGonagall will levitate the duplicate as close to the girl's location, without actually having it enter into the portal.  Once I perform the infusion, be ready with the 'enervate' spell, and cast it when I call your name, Dumbledore.  When I yell 'Now', McGonagall will throw the duplicate into the portal, and I will attempt to pull the girl out at the same time."  

"Couldn't you use magic to switch the bodies?  With the energy created by the portal, I'm sure it wouldn't be healthy to physically place your arm into it, Severus."  McGonagall stated with worry.

"The energy is the problem, Minerva.  I believe the portal will be creating too much for it to be a stable environment for magic to be cast inside it, and I have a sinking feeling we only have one chance at this."  Snape responded, running another hand through his hair.

"Uh, Professor Snape?"  Hermione tentatively interrupted.  "What should we do?"

"Be prepared with a cushioning spell, Ms. Granger."  Snape smirked.  "I have a sneaky suspicion that this portal will not be opening in a convenient location, and I would like to avoid breaking the bones of either myself or the girl, should we have to fall a great distance.  I don't believe I will be in any condition to cast spells after sticking my arm into a portal full of unstable energy." 

"Yes, sir.  We'll be ready."  Hermione nodded her head firmly.

Dumbledore had just called for everyone to take their place when Harry shouted out, "It's here!"

With a loud "ping", a bright light appeared high above them, rapidly expanding into a malevolent looking pool of light.

As the portal quickly spread out to cover the entire enchanted ceiling, McGonagall yelled out, "I see her!  Transfiguring, now!"

Professor Snape quickly cast a levitation spell on himself, and flew closer to where the girl's body writhed in pain inside the violent maelstrom of energy.   Stopping within arms reach of her, he saw the duplicate being maneuvered to a position a couple feet to the left of where he floated.  Quickly casting the infusion spell, he yelled out Dumbledore's name.  

Upon hearing the enervating spell, Snape thrust his right arm into the portal and grabbed the girl's wrist.  Clenching his teeth against the excruciation pain of the energy coursing through his body, Snape yelled out "Now!" as he yanked the girl's arm towards him with all his strength.  As the girl's body fell heavily against his chest, unconscious, he glimpsed the duplicate flying into the portal.

Wrapping his arms around the girl, Snape felt his levitation spell break, but was too exhausted from the pain from the portal's energy to re-cast it.  As he and the girl plummeted quickly towards the ground, he heard voices yelling out cushioning spells, and was thankful to land on the soft surface.

Snape lay where he landed, his arms still clenching the unconscious girl to his chest, the rest of her body sprawled over him.  He watched the portal above him in trepidation, wondering if their efforts were in vain.

All of them grimly stared at the bright energy covering ceiling, searching for any indication that the switch worked.  With a loud crack of lightening, the edges of the portal began drawing back into the center.

"It's working!"  Ron exuberantly yelled.

Ignoring the outburst, Snape continued observing the portal, which was contracting within itself almost as quickly as it had originally expanded, body tensing as he subconsciously felt the energy building up in the portal's diminishing center.  His quick reflexes, and paranoia of expecting the unexpected (which Dumbledore constantly teased him about), was the only thing that saved him and the girl from being burnt to a crisp, as the portal shot out one last lightening bolt in the exact location where he and the girl had been lying before Snape rolled them away.

The portal then winked out, as the echoes of the last lightening bolt rumbled around the large hall before gradually fading away.

"Severus?  Severus?" the quiet voice of the Headmaster spoke out, trying to get the attention of the potions master.  "Are you alright?"

Snape opened his eyes, and blinked up at Dumbledore.  Without answering, he looked down at the unconscious girl that his body had automatically moved to cover from any potential harm.  Quickly removing his weight from the girl, he sat up – pulling her up with him, as he still had his right arm wrapped around her shoulders.  Using his left hand, he reached for the nearest place on her neck which would give him any indication if she still had a pulse.

"She's alive.  Her pulse is very weak, but she's alive," he whispered.  "We have to get her to Poppy."  He tried to stand, and lift her at the same time, but fell back to the ground in exhaustion, still holding the girl firmly to him.

"Easy, Severus.  You're in no condition to be moving around so soon, much less carrying someone else's weight."  Dumbledore placed a firm hand on his shoulder to keep him from attempting to get up again.  "If you release the girl, McGonagall and I will see to moving her to the infirmary.  And you should go there as well, to make sure there is no lasting damage from the portal's energy."

Snape, his vision slightly spinning, reluctantly loosened his arms from the girl, and lay her down on the ground next to him.  Hearing a soft "mobile corpus" from the direction of the Deputy Headmistress, the unconscious girl floated away from his side.

Taking a deep breath, the aching potions master once again attempted to maneuver himself to his feet.  Silently, Hermione and Ron moved to either side of him, grasping his arms and letting him use their strength to stand up.  They quickly let go when they saw he was able to stay upright on his own power.  Wearily nodding his thanks (shocking the two into further silence), he slowly moved to stand next to the unconscious girl.

Briefly glancing down at her, he did a double take, as he realized this was not a girl, as he first supposed, but a young woman.  Her diminutive stature misled him into thinking she was the same age as the 4th year Gryffindors that stood nearby.  Though he did take in the blonde hair and striking features of the young woman, he was more concerned with the fact that her breathing was very shallow and labored.  

Giving Professor McGonagall a concerned look, he said, "Take her up to the infirmary, quickly!  She was exposed to the energy of the portal for a long time, and it may have caused excessive damage to her internal organs.  Have Madam Pomfrey give her an energy boosting potion, followed with a pain reduction potion no sooner than 10 minutes afterwards.  Whatever else she deems necessary should wait for another 15 minutes, in order to let the two potions do their work.  I will follow shortly." 

McGonagall nodded, and motioned the unconscious woman's body to move forward towards the main doors of the Hall.

"Wait!" Harry cried out, removing his cloak as he jogged towards them.  Wrapping his cloak around the floating woman, he pulled the hood down as far as he could without blocking the flow of air to her mouth.

Looking up and locking his eyes with Professor Snape, he quietly said, "No one must know."

Giving a sharp nod of agreement to Harry, he turned to Dumbledore.  "If you know of a route to the infirmary that will help you avoid anyone, I would suggest taking it.  Mr. Potter is correct in cautioning that no one else should know about our mysterious guest yet.  We don't know anything about her, and if she is as important as Mr. Potter's vision indicates, she may have enemies among us.  If our own adversaries discover her existence, and how she arrived here, they may become overly curious, and that would be dangerous for her in her current condition."

Dumbledore nodded in agreement and motioned Professor McGonagall to take the young woman through his private entrance behind the main table.

"We best hurry, Minerva.  Every moment may count in this young lady's fight for survival." 

As Professor McGonagall swiftly moved to comply, Dumbledore turned to address the potions master, "Severus, you and the children should wait here for at least 10 minutes, then exit through the main doors.  I believe Mr. Filch is having some difficulty keeping one of the teachers away, regardless of the direct orders I gave them.  I give you leave to deal with the situation as you see fit.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, once you leave this room, go directly to my office, and speak to no one.  The password is 'everlasting gobbstoppers'.  I will join you as soon as Professor McGonagall and I have discharged our guest into Madam Pomfrey's care."

After the three Gryffindors nodded silently, Dumbledore quickly made his way to the private door, and exited.

The three students stood closely together, giving the exhausted potions master uncertain looks.

"Uh…well, since we're so conveniently here, who's hungry?" Ron blurted out nervously.

Snape wearily rubbed his eyes as he sighed, wondering how in the world he ended up getting stuck in a room with the three students who rubbed him the wrong way the most.  Granted, it was a big room, but he was still stuck with them.

Waving his wand and muttering a spell, Snape returned the tables and benches to their original positions, minus one bench from the Ravenclaw's table.

Glaring sharply at the hovering students, Snape growled, "I would suggest that you not converse about what happened in here until you have spoken to the Headmaster.  Actually, I would rather you not converse at all, but that would be like asking a Hufflepuff to grow a spine."

Snape spun around and stalked towards the main table, taking his usual seat on the far left.

Harry, Ron and Hermione quickly sat where they usually did at their table – Ron even going so far as to walk around the long way of the table, just so he didn't have to go anywhere *near* the main table and its lone grouchy occupant.  They quickly filled their plates and began to eat.

It was a first in the Great Hall, the silence.  Normally filled with the hubble and bubble of chattering voices, the Gryffindor trio sat quietly eating, each of them too preoccupied with their thoughts at the moment, to attempt any kind of conversation.

As the silence stretched across the room, Harry shifted uneasily in his seat.  Giving a quick glance at his friends, he noticed them doing the same to him and each other.

Breaking the hush, Harry softly asked them, "Do you feel it too?"

"If you mean the lingering energy from the portal, then yes, I feel it too." Hermione whispered, and Ron nodding that he too felt it.

"If it stays like this, everyone is going to know that something powerful happened here."  Harry responded, giving a quick look up at the lone occupant of the main table, who was currently scowling at his plate, as though it somehow offended him.  "Do you think we should…"

Hermione nodded, and Ron whimpered.  Harry sighed as he stood up, knowing that, in the end, he would still be the one to have to approach the short-tempered potions master, so he didn't argue against the inevitable.

Cautiously approaching the main table, Harry nervously looked at the knife in Snape's hand, sure that at any moment the professor would look up, and, seeing his most hated student approach, throw the knife at Harry with a deadly accuracy.

'Hey, that's a good one.' Harry thought. 'Maybe I should use that for my next Divination essay.'

Shaking his thoughts clear, Harry stopped a few feet short of where the potions master sat.  Close enough to talk, yet far enough to not be in stabbing distance.

"Um…sir?" 

"What is it Mr. Potter?  Can't eat without the background noise of babbling students?"

"Uh, no sir.  Ron, Hermione and I noticed that there seems to be a lot of energy left behind by the portal.  We were wondering if we should be concerned about it?"

As Harry stood awkwardly in front of the glaring man, Snape slowly removed his wand from his robes.  Harry gasped as, for a brief moment, the wand was pointed at him.

Smirking, Snape pointed it up in the general direction of the ceiling and spoke a quick dispersing spell, before returning the wand to his robes.

"Will that be all, Mr. Potter?"

Harry cocked his head as he tried to feel for the lingering energy, and couldn't find any.  "Yes, sir.  Thank you."

Harry quickly moved to return to his friends.  As he took his seat, Ron looked at him with awe.

"Crikey, Harry.  You've got ba…*cough*…guts.  You've got guts."  Ron had quickly changed his wording at a glare from Hermione.

"Yeah, and I've also got some new predictions of my death for our next few Divination essays."  Harry grinned.

Ron perked up.  "Really? What are they?"

"Death by a knife thrown with deadly accuracy into my heart, death by vicious stabbing, and death by a curse cast from three feet away.  And if I spread them out far enough, the same person could commit them all."

"Wicked!  Who are you going to have commit them?"  Ron was literally bouncing in his seat with glee.

"Professor Snape, of course.  But since we can't use names, I'll just have to come up with some vivid descriptions for him.  Something like…a dark sinister man, or a tall shadowy figure who swoops in."  Harry laughed as his eyes danced with merriment.

"Honestly, Harry, you should have given up that class a long time ago.  It's nothing but a waste of your time."  Hermione admonished him.

"Yeah, but it's funny, Herms.  I mean, the more times I predict my death, and the more violent it is, the higher grade I get."

Ron laughed, and even Hermione couldn't resist a giggle over the ridiculousness of their conversation.

Unbeknownst to the three students, their entire conversation could be clearly heard at the main table, as there were no other voices to drown them out.

Professor Snape was amused by the "new predictions" Harry had apparently come up with as he stood at the main table a short while ago.  He rolled his eyes and gave a soft snort of laughter at the "vivid descriptions" of himself, and definitely agreed with Ms. Granger on the uselessness of the class.  But he almost gave himself away as he barked out a short laugh, quickly covering it with a cough, when Harry gave his logic for higher marks.

Shaking his head in disbelief, he blocked their chattering voices out, and returned his attention to the meal before him.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Down in the castle kitchens, the usual flurry of work was briefly interrupted as, almost as one, each round-eyed and big-eared house elf paused in their varying labors, looking above them and a little south, gazing at something that wasn't visible to anyone but them.

Dobby, the acknowledged leader of the house elves, as he was much more out-spoken of them all, and *knew* Harry Potter, excitedly whispered, "_She_ is here!!"

At Dobby's statement, animated chatter broke out among the house elves, as they once more resumed their work, but with greater energy than before.


	2. The Answers to Questions Always Seem to

Note to Reader's, The Full Title is:

When It's Time to Change, You've Got to Re-Arrange, Who You Are and What You're Gonna Be  

(The title also end's with a lot of Sha na na's, and if you understand this, you've must be as old as I am.  LOL)

And I'm still waiting for someone to guess where I got the title.

A/N:  Many apologies for taking so long to get the next chapter out.  I haven't written a story in a LONG time, so it's very difficult to get into the "flow" of creative writing.  I also have to blame my English Composition II class, as I now have to spend an inordinate amount of time ensuring that I don't sound like I'm writing a thesis paper.

grabs Samson and gives him/her a noogie Special thanks to you for being my first reviewer EVER.  Thank yous to everyone else too!!  It was great to get your encouragement to continue on with this story. 

There isn't much action in this chapter as I'm still "setting the scene", but I hope it's still interesting.  As always, reviews are welcome, critical or otherwise, but flames will have a dung bomb tossed at them.

The Answers to Questions Always Seem to Create More Questions

_If you reveal your secrets to the wind you should not blame the wind for revealing them to the trees.  ~Kahlil Gibran _

Three teenagers were huddled closely together at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, their chattering having died down to soft whispers.  The sounds of their voices bouncing off the walls and ceiling of the mostly empty room had unnerved them.  Usually they didn't notice the echoes, as the room was normally filled with hundreds of other students prattling on.  To them, the reverberation of their voices was…eerie, hence the whispering.

At the main table, the lone occupant relished the relative quietness of the large room, as he lay down his utensils after completing his breakfast.  This was Snape's first meal during this year's school season that he was able to enjoy, not having to worry about his fellow professors trying to force him into being social.  

He gave a satisfied sigh as he pushed himself away from the main table.  Gathering what strength he was able to recoup from the filling meal, Snape stood up from his seat, being careful to avert his gaze from the main floor, as he was trying to forestall the moment he would have to actually _look at the Unholy Trio of Terror._

Rounding the last corner of the main table, it was inevitable that his eyes fell on the three lone students sitting at the Gryffindor table, since he was heading for the main doors of the Great Hall and had to pass them to get there.  He threw a scowl in their general direction, and the three whispering teenagers fell silent.  Snape sneered at the identical looks of wide-eyed nervousness.

_'I've still got it,' _he thought, smirking.

As he drew closer to them, the three students turned their gazes elsewhere – floor, table, ceiling – anywhere, but in his direction.  Their apprehension was literally radiating from them.

"If you are quite finished, I have matters to attend to that are more important than babysitting you truants," Snape snapped curtly.

Ron, Harry, and Hermione silently nodded, gathering their personal items as Snape swept past them.  Scrambling out of their seats, the three cautiously followed their testy potions professor towards the main door, being careful not to get too close, as they might get points deducted for breathing on him.

Upon nearing the large doors, voices could be heard arguing from the other side.  For, while the Great Hall may still have the silencing spell upon it, it was only one way – they could hear people on the outside, but no one could hear them.

Snape abruptly stopped and snarled, "Moody."  

Turning sharply, he glared at the three students standing mutely behind him.

"As much as I would relish watching that insane…man, and I use that term loosely, terrorize you into spilling your guts, the Headmaster has instructed you to speak to no one.  So, though my enjoyment shall have to go unfulfilled, I am directing you to take the teachers entrance located just behind where that hairy giant sits.

"Follow the corridor to the end, and go up two flights of stairs.  Turn right at the top of the landing, then take the fifth corridor on your right.  The end of the corridor will take you to the main landing that leads to the dormitories.  If your tiny brains can comprehend those instructions, you should be able to find your way to the Headmaster's offices from there.  Now get out of my sight."

Like startled rabbits, the three teenagers fled to the teacher's entrance and quickly disappeared through the opening.

Turning back to the main doors, Snape muttered the incantations to break the locking and silencing spells Dumbledore had put into place.  Shaking his head in disbelief that, while the main doors were locked, the two other "private" doors were open to anyone who wished to enter.  That no one had, gave credence to the Headmaster's blind trust in his employees, and their unwavering obedience.  Spineless sods.  They were just lucky that "Mad-Eye" Moody either didn't know where the entrances were located, had forgotten about them, or figured everything would be over by the time he got to the other entrances.

Straightening up and throwing back his shoulders, Snape flicked his wand, causing the main doors to fly open, crashing against the walls as he stalked out.  Upon exiting, he caught sight of Moody backing away from his position of looming over Filch as he attempted to intimidate the smaller man.  Filch, not one to be easily bullied, was defiantly glaring up at the malformed DADA professor.

"What is the meaning of this?" Snape snarled as he strode angrily towards the two men.

"I have been telling this…this **ogre for the last _twenty minutes_ that the Headmaster strictly forbid _anyone, including _teachers_, to enter the Great Hall, Professor.  He wouldn't believe me, and tried to force his way past."  Filch glowered at the offending man.  "But Mrs. Norris and I, we have our ways of seeing that the Headmaster's orders are followed."  _**

Filch's expression changed to one of smugness at having won the confrontation against THE teacher who taught the subject of defense.  It was quite a coup for him, as DADA professors tend to have more knowledge of getting around protection spells.  And just because he doesn't go swooping around and waving a wand threateningly, doesn't mean he wasn't without his little tricks.  Oh, no…being the caretaker of Hogwarts has taught him quite a few things it has…quite a few.

"Very well, Mr. Filch.  I will take it from here.  You may go back to your regular duties." Snape gave him a look that brooked no argument.

Mr. Filch nodded, called out for Mrs. Norris, and quickly walked away, cat tailing closely behind him.

After briefly watching the retreating caretaker, Snape turned his glare to the deformed figure left his presence, who was sporting his own glare in return.

"The Headmaster gave you explicit orders to return to your quarters or the staff room after ensuring that the children were safe in their dormitories.  Why did you not follow them?"

"I thought Albus needed my help," Moody replied coldly.

"Your help was neither requested, nor wanted.  And while you may be an old friend of Albus, your orders came from the Headmaster of Hogwarts.  You are here as a professor, and, as such, you are expected to act in that capacity.  When an order is given by your superior, you are expected to obey without question.  The lives of the students may depend on it, and your first duty as a professor is to see to their safety." Snape bit out furiously.  

As Moody angrily opened his mouth to respond, Snape held up a hand to stop him.  

"Headmaster Dumbledore has given me leave to deal with this situation as I see fit.  If the Headmaster wasn't a man to give people second chances, I would discharge you without delay.  To that end, you have been given your first warning, Moody.  Any further insubordination will be grounds for your immediate dismissal."

Moody clenched his jaw, cheeks ticking, then spun around and began to stalk away.  He briefly paused as Snape called out in a low voice.

"I'll be watching you very closely, Moody."

Body stiffening, Moody continued to march away angrily, his peg-leg clunking in a sharp staccato with every other step.

Once the angry figure was out of sight, Snape's shoulders drooped in exhaustion, the lingering effects of the portal, again, sapping his energy.  Rubbing his forehead in attempts to stave off the headache that was beginning to form, he breathed in deeply, then moved to slowly make his way to the infirmary.

****************************************************************************************************

After rushing through the teacher's entrance, Harry, Ron, and Hermione swiftly made their way down the corridor.  On reaching the stairs, Hermione took the lead, with Ron and Harry following closely after.  Hearing a loud CRASH, all three hesitated, Harry's foot still hovering over the first stair.  Glancing behind him, Harry wavered, torn between continuing on as he was ordered to, or returning to the Great Hall to see if the potions professor needed help…no matter how unwelcome it would be.

"Harry!" Hermione sharply called out.  "Don't do it!  Professor Snape will eat you alive if you return!  If there is a problem, he will _not want us to get involved - especially if it concerns Professor Moody!"_

"Yeah, mate.  Besides, that loud racket is probably Professor Moody making a grand entrance, or Professor Snape making a furious exit.  Either way, none of us would be welcome there," Ron pointed out.

Hesitating just a moment longer, Harry nodded, and indicated that Hermione should continue on.  Hermione gave a sigh of relief as she continued making her way up the stairs, the two boys quietly following in her wake.

Following Snape's instructions, it didn't take the trio long to find their way to the main landing which led to the dormitories.  Hearing voices drifting faintly from a corridor on their left, they quickly walked in the opposite direction, making their way towards the Headmaster's office, using the shortest route possible.

Facing the ugly stone gargoyle that protected the entrance to the office hidden behind it, Hermione had just given the password when the three heard a low noise, and turned to see Dumbledore shuffling towards them.  Apparently, he was just returning from the infirmary.

"Ah, good.  I am happy to see that you didn't have to wait." Dumbledore exclaimed.  "I presume that you partook of a meal during your delay in the Great Hall?"

At their nods, he gave them a warm smile, gesturing them to climb the stairs to his office.

Stepping off the stone staircase at the top, they all entered the large circular room.  

Waving the young students to the chairs around his desk, Dumbledore said, "If you children will excuse me a moment, I need to inform the teachers that they may release the students from their towers."  

As the Headmaster walked toward the fireplace at the far side of the room, Ron and Hermione quickly took their seats before the Headmaster's desk, but Harry veered off to give Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix, a happy greeting and a few strokes to his fiery plumes.  

Dumbledore finished shortly, then began to move back where the young students were sitting patiently.  

With one last pat on the phoenix's head, Harry took the last seat, just as the Headmaster settled his own large frame in the high chair behind the desk.

"Tea, anyone?  Or would you prefer something sweeter?" Dumbledore offered.

After Hermione agreed to tea, and Harry and Ron gave their own request for hot chocolate, the four of them exchanged pleasantries for several minutes, as they sipped their hot drinks.

"I hope you don't mind if we wait for Professors McGonagall and Snape to join us, before we begin discussing the events in the Great Hall," Dumbledore inquired.

Though they exchanged uncomfortable looks at the thought of having to be in the potions master's presence again so soon, they reluctantly nodded.

"Come, come, children.  Professor Snape is not as terrible as you think," the Headmaster said, eyes twinkling merrily.  "I know for a fact that he has never once eaten one of his students…"

At this, Ron, Hermione, and Harry gave Dumbledore dubious looks.

"…but he _has_ mentioned how pleasant it is to gnaw on them occasionally."

The three students blanched, which caused the Headmaster to chuckle, his eyes sparkling in amusement.

There was a sharp knock at the door before it opened, revealing the two professors they were waiting for.  Snape strode in first, to be met with the wide-eyed stares of three pale faces.

Arching an eyebrow at Dumbledore, he said, "Telling stories about me again, Albus?"

"No, no.  Just reassuring them that your eating habits do not include that of rambunctious pupils on the menu." Dumbledore responded, giving the potions master a small mischievous smile.

"Apparently the house-elves haven't told you what I've been requesting for midnight snacks then," Snape smirked.

Any color that was left in the three student's faces quickly faded away, as they hunched down in their chairs, attempting to make themselves smaller targets.

The Headmaster gave out a burst of laughter, while Professor McGonagall, who had followed Snape into the room, tried to hide a chuckle behind her hand.

"Now Severus, are you _trying to disabuse them of the notion that you _don't _eat students?" Dumbledore said, still chuckling._

Taking a seat at Dumbledore's left, Professor Snape responded in a mocking voice, "Now _why would I do that?"_

Laughing softly, Professor McGonagall took the seat next to the potions master and gave her own opinion, "Because you enjoy traumatizing small children in your spare time?"

Snape gave the three silent students a sharp considering look, causing Ron to give out a squeaky 'Meep'.

Chortling, the Headmaster waved his hand to get the potions master's attention, and said, "I believe we should change the subject.  The children are beginning to look quite distressed."

Snape gave him a disappointed look, still smirking.

His expression turning serious, the Headmaster looked at the group around him and said, "Now, I believe we need to discuss the unusual experience we all shared, starting with the events that led up to the incident in the Great Hall."  Giving Harry a reassuring look, "Harry, could you please explain, to the best of your knowledge, the visions and impressions you received leading up to when you located Professor Snape."

Carefully setting his empty mug on the desk before him, Harry clasped his hands in his lap.  Forehead crinkling slightly, he stared at an empty spot above the Headmaster's head with a serious expression, as he gathered his thoughts before opening his mouth to speak.

"We were sitting in the Gryffindor common rooms, playing chess, and making jokes." Harry hesitantly spoke, his glance briefly flitting to the potions master, who sneered in return.  "One moment I was talking to Ron, the next, I felt this overwhelming pressure where my scar is.  It…it didn't hurt, like the other visions, and I knew, somehow, it was different.  I still kind of knew what was going on around me, and could hear Ron and Hermione, but like it was far away."

Harry paused a moment before continuing, "At first there were just pictures, of the big cloud of light, the portal, with the girl caught in the middle of it.  Then…then it was like I could feel her pain, but it didn't hurt me like the visions from Voldemort do.  It…it didn't hurt me at all."

Harry broke off, giving the Headmaster a confused look.

Snape leaned forward, giving Harry a sharp look, "What do you mean, 'visions from Voldermort'?"

Dumbledore laid a staying hand on Snape's arm.  "One thing at a time, Severus."  

The Headmaster then turned to his young student, and attempted to help Harry make sense of his story, "Now Harry, do you mean that you could feel that the girl was in pain, but didn't actually experience the pain she was feeling?"

"Yes!  That's it exactly!"  Harry exclaimed.

The Headmaster motioned for Harry to continue.

"That was when I felt it…them…" Harry stopped again, frustrated that he couldn't convey his thoughts coherently.

"It's OK Harry."  Dumbledore spoke soothingly.  "Why don't you just say them or they, if you don't know.  We can worry about who or what they are later."

Harry gave the Headmaster a grateful look.

"OK…them.  I felt them.  They didn't have bodies, or forms.  They were like…like a powerful presence.  Very powerful.  I c-could feel their power…all around me, through me.  It was…it was _massive_."  Harry dropped to a whisper, voice tinged with awe.

"Would you describe them as omnipotent beings?"  McGonagall questioned softly.

"No."  Harry said, his expression turning thoughtful.  "No.  While they felt very powerful, it was like they had a **lot** of power, but only so much.  It didn't feel limitless."

"More power than Voldemort?" asked Snape, his sharp gaze piercing Harry.

"Much more," Harry responded quietly, his eyes locking with the potions master's.  "Their power makes Voldemort look like a squib."

There were several gasps, and even Snape sat back in his chair, a shocked look on his face.  But nothing seemed to faze the Headmaster, as he seemed to ponder Harry's response before returning his attention to the young boy sitting before him.

"If they have that much power, why didn't they help the girl themselves?"

"I don't know."  Harry said slowly, shrugging his shoulders, as confused as the rest of the people in the room.

Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully.  "Then that is another question we will have to contemplate later.  If you will continue, Harry."

"The rest of the vision was mostly feelings I received, not actual words.  The closing of the doorway, the blood, that the girl was dying, that it was important to save her – they were just feelings that somehow made themselves understood in my head.  That's why I told you that I just _knew.  Then there were the pictures of what we should do, the ones that actually happened in the Great Hall, and a feeling of urgency."  Harry glanced at the Headmaster with an apologetic look.  "I'm sorry…I know that doesn't help much."_

Waving away his apology, the Headmaster said, "Most visions tend to be vague, Harry.  Don't feel that the lack of information is your fault.  We are lucky enough to have what information you _can provide us.  Now, can you tell us anything about the comments you made in the Great Hall?  Specifically, why you don't think __they or the girl are dark wizards or beings, and why, if she dies, we die."_

Looking at his hands still clasped in his lap, Harry slowly, almost reluctantly, answered, "When…when I have visions from Voldermort, I can feel his hatred and violence, his… darkness.  It's like it oozes from him.  Does that make sense?"

Harry lifted his eyes to the Headmaster, who nodded his head in understanding.

"With…them, it was like…like…finding the most wonderful place you could ever be.  Like the most pleasant emotions you could ever have.  Like…like…" Here, Harry's words stumbled, eyes darting around, as he tried to describe his impressions of the unknown beings in his visions.  He fell silent, unmoving, eyes dropping once more to his clasped hands.

"Like what, Harry?"  Dumbledore gently prompted him.

"Like…coming home."  Voice thick with emotion, Harry looked up at the Headmaster with tears in his eyes, and an expression that spoke of losing the most precious thing in the world.

With a sad look, Dumbledore nodded his head in understanding, before speaking softly, "And the girl, Harry?"

Harry took a moment to pull himself together before responding, "I…I…there was something…I could feel her…I…"

He stumbled to a halt in frustration.  Wriggling in his seat, Harry gave the Headmaster a pleading look, "I know there's something, but I can't… _They were so…so…__big around me, I…it's hard to…to…"_

"Quietly, Harry."  Dumbledore's soft voice tried to soothe him.  "We can help you try to remember, but you will need to calm yourself first.  Close your eyes, Harry."

Still squirming with agitation, Harry complied.

"Take a deep breath and try to relax your muscles as you breathe out.  That's it.  Again."  

Dumbledore's quiet voice rolled peacefully over the young teen, helping ease the tension in his body.  The Headmaster continued his soothing words until he saw that Harry was in a relaxed state, hands resting lightly on the arms of his chair.

"Now I want you to picture the moment in which you received your first impression of the young woman.  Do you see her Harry?"  Once he received Harry's slow nod, the Headmaster continued, "As you look at that picture, I want you to focus your attention on the young woman, and move yourself closer to her.  Can you do that Harry?"

Harry nodded again, eyes closed, and a look of intense concentration on his face.

"I'm here…next to her.  She…she's beautiful," Harry sluggishly said.

Dumbledore continued to coax him, "Now Harry, I want you to do something for me.  I need you to open yourself up to her feelings, and tell us what you sense.  Can you do that?"

Again, the young teen nodded his head.  A moment later, he gave out a loud gasp, clenching his hands on the armrests of his chair.

"Pain…loss…sadness…she hurts, her heart hurts."  Harry panted out.  "But…but over everything, I feel…I feel…love, a great love for someone…many someones.  And…and…acceptance.  She…she knows what she's doing.  She jumped into the portal on purpose."

Harry's eyes popped open, capturing Dumbledore's gaze, as he sobbed out, "She sacrificed herself to close the portal."

There was a stunned silence in the room…even the normally unflappable Headmaster was shocked at this.  To think that a young woman, in the prime of her life, would willing give up her life to end a spell of the Ancient Dark Arts…it was almost incomprehensible.  

Hermione slipped one of her hands into his, as Harry pulled out a handkerchief from his robes to mop up the tears on his face.

"If she was willing to sacrifice herself to close the portal, she couldn't be a dark wizard, could she?"  Hermione asked shakily.

Professor Snape chose to answer this question, his voice solemn, "No, she couldn't.  A portal requires innocent blood to both open and close a portal.  A dark wizard would not be considered innocent."

There was another moment of silence, as everyone absorbed this information.

Shaking himself out of his reverie, Dumbledore gave Harry a sympathetic look as he asked, "I'm sorry, Harry, but we need to know one more thing."

Harry nodded his head in understanding and said, "Why will we die if she dies.  To be honest sir, I don't know.  All I know is that she will be important to us."

"Will be?"

"That was the impression I got, sir."

"Hmmm."  Dumbledore sat back in his chair, stroking his beard thoughtfully, then gave Harry a piercing look before sharply saying, "What was your first impression of her, Mr. Potter?"

Quickly sitting up in his chair, Harry blurted out the first word that came into his head, "Powerful!"

Blinking owlishly, Harry looked surprised, as did everyone else.

"My apologies Harry.  I wanted to see if I could get you to respond instinctively."  Dumbledore gave Harry a conciliatory smile.  "Powerful you say?"

"Yes, sir."  Harry said, giving a tired smile to the Headmaster, letting him know that he took no offence.

"I'm assuming you are not able to elaborate on that?"

"No, sir.  I think that's everything."  Harry relaxed wearily back into his seat.

Dumbledore looked at Ron and Hermione.  "Is there anything more that either of you can add?"

Both of them shook their heads, and Hermione said, "Except for the words written on the parchment I gave you, I don't think we can provide any other information, sir."

"Very well," Dumbledore said, nodding his head.  Stroking his beard again, the Headmaster fell into silent contemplation.

"Albus?"  Professor McGonagall called out softly, gaining the attention of the Headmaster.  "Who do you think these beings are?"

"That is a very good question Minerva.  To be honest, I think we have too little information to make even an educated guess."  Dumbledore gave her a small smile, his eyes softly twinkling as he asked, "Can you tell me who or what has no body or form, is vastly powerful, yet does not use that power to save a young girl from a portal?"

"You make it sound like a twisted game of 20 questions, Albus."  McGonagall huffed at him.  "For all I know, it could be aliens."

The three students giggled at McGonagall's response, and Snape snorted in disbelief.

Taking a moment to call up more tea, hot chocolate, and biscuits, Dumbledore chuckled merrily as he handed out the hot beverages and passed the tray of treats.  

"As fantastic as the thought of aliens may sound, it would be very remiss of us to not consider it.  There is an entire galaxy of unexplored and unknown possibilities, other species notwithstanding, that mankind has yet to discover.  So, while we shouldn't discount your suggestion, though made in jest, it doesn't account for the impressions young Harry felt while in their presence."

Hermione looking thoughtful, hesitantly spoke, "Headmaster?  I've read a lot of books about the wizarding world, but I haven't seen much on the subject of spirituality.  Why is that?"

"Because it's a bunch of twaddle, everyone knows that." Snape sneered.

Hermione ducked her head in embarrassment, but Dumbledore's curiosity was roused.

"Why do you ask, Ms. Granger?"  

"Well…I know there are things in the muggle world that are different here, just as there are things here that are different in the muggle world.  I have a theory to propose, but it's difficult to express without knowing the background of how spirituality is portrayed in the wizarding world. 

Sipping at his tea, Dumbledore took a moment before answering Hermione's question.

"As I understand it, back when the world was first creating what we call 'civilization', there was a wide increase in religious organizations.  These organizations, made up mostly of muggles, became a powerful force to be reckoned with, as more people congregated in one place, creating the first cities.  The leaders of these organizations saw the wizarding community as a threat to their power, and began the first 'witch hunts', inciting other muggles to cast out or kill anyone showing magical abilities.  This caused a permanent rift between magical and non-magical peoples, those who once lived side by side in peace."  

The Headmaster paused to take another sip of tea before continuing.

"Before their community could be decimated, the wizards and witches who were the most powerful among them held a tribal meeting, where it was decided that they and their tribes would flee to carefully chosen lands, and create their own society.  And so it happened.  As they fled, they came across others like them, and convinced many to join them in their withdrawal from the muggle world.  Upon reaching their chosen destinations, they claimed their lands, wove magical spells to make it uninhabitable to all muggles, then cast other spells to remove themselves and their dwellings from the eyes of non-magical people."

The three students sat in rapt attention, having never heard this before, as Professor Binns tended to concentrate on wars that happened between other magical races.

"Why did the leaders think wizards and witches were a threat?" Ron mumbled his question through a mouth full of biscuits.

"If you were muggles who were building beliefs based on a centralized figure or figures who were purported to perform 'miracles', how would you view the skills of wizards and witches?" Dumbledore questioned, looking at the young red-head.

"Oh!  They saw them as competition!" Ron's eyes widened in comprehension.  "If a bunch of people could do the same thing, their miracles wouldn't look like miracles."

The Headmaster nodded his head.

"Quite so.  Which is why, when the wizarding community withdrew from the muggle world, one of the first laws created was forbidding the formation of any religious groups.  In order to survive, the community needed to live as a whole, and could not risk the fear of persecution by the concept of one person being above all others.

"There are some, though, who continue to recognize certain beliefs – Wicca being the most predominant.  But most of these beliefs that are still in practice tend to be used for making a person feel more harmonious with nature.  Meditative rituals, if you will, similar to the muggle practice of…yoda...is it?"

Hermione and Harry giggled, but Ron looked confused.

"I believe you mean _yoga_, sir."  Hermione corrected laughingly.

"Yes sir, it's yoga, with a 'g'.  _Yoda is a little green guy with big ears, who looks kind of like a really old house-elf, now that I think about it."  Harry snickered._

"Yoda?  Who's Yoda?" Ron asked, looking bewildered.

"It's a muggle pop-culture reference, Ron.  We seriously need to get you out into the muggle world."  Hermione patted his arm consolingly.

"But we'd have to take your wand from you first.  We wouldn't want you to hex the Death Star."  Harry grinned cheekily.

Hermione giggled as Ron continued to look perplexed.

Chuckling, Dumbledore smiled at the young girl sitting before him.  "Getting back to the subject at hand, does that answer your questions, Ms. Granger?"

Still smiling, Hermione nodded.  "It does sir.  But I'm afraid that my theory will yield no specific answers."

Sighing, Dumbledore nodded his head in understanding, but motioned to the young Gryffindor to continue.

"In the muggle world, religious organizations still exist, but the majority of them are not bloodthirsty anymore, as many wizards and witches may think.  From the time that the wizarding world withdrew from the muggle world through today, I would estimate that  there have been thousands of different beliefs spread out across the world.  Some were very primitive, some were pompous with a lot of fanfare, but all had one common factor…their god or gods never had physical form."

"So you're saying that we're dealing with a god?" Professor McGonagall queried, a look of skepticism on her face.

Shaking her head, Hermione said, "No…no, right now I'm just giving you the general background of the basic beliefs in most religions.  Many of these thousands of religions were centralized around a being of limitless power, while some believed there were groups of beings, or lesser gods, who were in charge of various limited aspects such as life, death, nature, the elements, and so on.  The fact that most of these religious icons do not have a form is where my theory starts."

The Headmaster nodded thoughtfully, having some idea of where she was heading with her information.

"While I don't believe we are dealing with a god, there are various accounts of 'helpers' to the gods or goddesses – other 'celestial' beings, if you will.  These celestial beings, while not as powerful as the gods themselves, _are attributed with having vast amounts of power given to them by their deity, in addition to not having tangible forms either.  The only problem with my theory is that, with the thousands of religious, it is impossible to narrow down these celestial beings or lesser gods as the one or one's who Harry encountered."_

"Are you saying that there are _thousands of religions in the muggle world today?" Professor McGonagall asked in astonishment._

"There are probably only a little over a hundred, if you count the various derivatives of the major religions."  Hermione corrected.  "The thousands of religions I was speaking of takes into account the ones that died out over time, and ones that are now considered mythology to historians.  But, hypothetically, if gods and their 'helpers' are real, they may not disappear just because their religion died out, which is why we can't narrow it down."

"I can't believe we're listening to this rubbish." Snape snapped out.  "There is nothing to support the existence of gods, and there never has been."

"That's why they call it Faith, Severus."  Dumbledore answered quietly.  "Who's to say it is true or not, surely not any of us.  Besides, look at all the magical creatures in the wizarding world.  Unicorns, centaurs, phoenixes…to muggles, they are creatures of myth, yet they exist here.  Who's to say that things wizards and witches call myths do not exist in the muggle world."

Snape's mouth snapped shut, a look of contemplation on his face.

The Headmaster returned his attention to the young girl.  "Your theory has merit, Ms. Granger.  I assume that there is little use in researching this, due to the vast number of possibilities?"

Hermione nodded, "If you take into account all the possible religions and myths, and the fact that most of them have more than one 'celestial being' or lesser god, the resulting number is mind-boggling.  Even if we kept it to just the religions currently in practice, there would still be too many to consider."

Nodding in understanding, the elder wizard turned to the rest of the group.

"So we now have other species or ecclesiastical beings as possibilities for the identity of the person or persons Harry met in his vision.  Does anyone have any other suggestions?  Harry?"

The Headmaster had noticed the hesitation on Harry's face, and softly coaxed him to respond.

"Well…uh…the Yoda thing got me thinking…"

"That's a first."  Snape sneered.

Dumbledore shot a reprimanding look in the potions master's direction, before turning his gaze back to the young boy in front of him.

"Go on Harry.  No idea should be left out, no matter how impossible it may seem."

Giving him a grateful look, Harry continued, "In the muggle world, there are books, movies, and television programs that use different types of portals in their stories.  Dimensional portals, time portals, and even ones that lead to parallel worlds.  I don't know if they actually exist, but they must have gotten the idea from somewhere – maybe from scientific research.  I guess what I'm trying to say is that, how do we even know if the girl is from _this_ world, or _this time, or even __this dimension?"_

"A very good point, Harry.  With what little there is known about portals, any of those possibilities could be correct." Dumbledore nodded, then looked around at the group again.  "Any other suggestions?"

At the indications that no one else had any other ideas, Dumbledore sighed, "Well then, as it seems it is more likely that the young woman will awaken long before we find an answer, there is not much use in wasting time on research.  And I'm afraid the answer to their lack of involvement in the young lady's plight will most likely depend on their identity.  No, I do not believe we will be receiving any answers until the young woman awakens, and maybe not even then."

The Headmaster waved his wand, calling a house-elf to gather the empty cups and plates, before addressing the two silent professors.

"Severus, Minerva, I would like you to keep an eye open for any unusual reports in the wizarding newspapers, which may have a connection to this morning's events.  Going on the assumption that the young woman is from our world and time, be sure to review the international wizarding papers also, as she may be from another country."

There was a tinkling crash, followed by a thump.  All the inhabitants of the office turned to see the house-elf on the floor, picking up pieces of a broken tea cup.

"Oh!  Floozy is sorry, sir.  Floozy is a bad clumsy house-elf.  Floozy must punish himself."  

The house-elf attempted to bash his head on the floor in penance, but was stopped by Harry, who, in his infinite experience with Dobby, knew how to prevent it.

"That's OK Floozy.  I've broken things before too.  Let me fix it for you."  With a swift _reparo_, the tea cup was fixed, and Harry picked it up and handed it to the distressed house-elf.

"Harry Potter is too kind to this bad house-elf.  Too Kind."  Floozy burst in to tears, as he placed the repaired tea cup on the tray, before launching himself at the young boy in a tight hug.

Harry, awkwardly patting the distressed house-elf on the head, flushed in embarrassment. 

"Uh…you're not a bad house-elf, Floozy.  You just had an accident like everyone else.  You should probably get back to the kitchen, though.  Tell Dobby I said 'hello', OK?"

The house-elf released him so suddenly, Harry staggered for a moment before catching his balance.

The house-elf beamed up at the young boy, his eyes sparkling with tears of happiness.  "Dobby said Harry Potter is kind.  Dobby is right.  Harry Potter is very nice."

Picking up the tray, Floozy gave a wave to the now _very red-faced Harry, before winking out of the room._

"So now you're extending your fan-club to the house-elves, Potter?"  Snape mocked, as he arched an eyebrow at the flushed boy.

Harry scowled at the potions master before stomping back to his chair.

Dumbledore sighed, shaking his head in disappointment over the teacher and student who could _barely_ be civil with each other, even after almost four years of knowing each other.  Nevertheless, it wasn't young Harry's fault.  Children would only respond with kindness if given kindness, and _that was not something the potions master was willing to bestow upon the 'boy-who-lived'.  _

_'I need to shake some sense into Severus.  His misguided belief about Harry's home-life and fame has blinded him to the child's pain and suffering.  I know he must keep up appearances because of his spying, but some of his comments are downright cruel.'  _

Shaking himself from his reverie, Dumbledore turned to the three young students before him, and fixed them with a serious gaze.

"I believe you know what I will ask of you now."

Harry nodded, "No one must know, so we shouldn't tell anyone what happened."

"More than that, young Harry.  You should not talk about it at all, as you never know who may be listening."  Dumbledore corrected.

"But…"

"Harry, need I remind you of your second year, and the lack of secrecy regarding the Chamber of Secrets?  While that particular indiscretion did not result in any harm, this situation is quite different, in that there is an innocent young woman whose condition is currently one of extreme vulnerability.  Should someone of…questionable loyalties…overhear a conversation about a _powerful_ young woman who is currently _defenseless_, how long do you think it would be before she is in danger?"

The Headmaster pierced the three Gryffindors with his gaze.

"For that matter, there is also the threat of the Ministry of Magic.  Should they discover there is a potentially powerful 'tool' for them to use, it is unlikely they will let the young woman be.  And the Ministry is not without its own problems of having members with dubious allegiances.

"No.  It is better that you not speak of the events in the Great Hall, nor the young woman, at all.  Should you need to discuss these subjects, you are welcome to return to my offices and speak of them here.  But outside of my office, it is imperative that you not talk about it.  I must also insist that you not make any unnecessary visits to the infirmary, as that will draw unwanted attention to her presence.  Are we clear?"

All three students nodded their heads, Harry and Hermione with expressions of alarmed comprehension.

Dumbledore smiled warmly at them, eyes twinkling.

"Very good.  Very good.  Now, how shall we explain the necessitation of temporarily closing the Great Hall, and your presence there, while ever other student was required to go back to their dorms?"

Many ideas were presented and discarded, until they finally determined that it would be easiest to claim they just discovered that a student had hidden a nest of snake eggs, recently hatched, in one of the private corridors leading to the Great Hall.  Harry, being the only parselmouth at the school, was asked to 'talk' the snakes into being relocated elsewhere, as the snakes were of the poisonous variety.  Ron and Hermione's presence could be explained away in that they would never let their best-friend face anything dangerous alone.

"Well, I believe that covers everything."  Dumbledore said, then smiled at the three young teens before him, "Now, shouldn't you three be enjoying what is left of your holiday?"

The three young teens grinned at him, tossing out 'yes, sirs' as they scrambled from their seats and headed to the door of the office.  Yelling out their goodbyes, they quickly exited.

****************************************************************************************************

In a hidden place between the dungeons and the main floor, the castle kitchen resides.  Filled with the chatter of many little creatures, of the house-elf variety, it tends to be a very noisy place.  It was into the middle of this milieu that a tray bearing Floozy appeared.

Hurriedly setting his laden tray on the counter next to the sink, Floozy rushed over to the 'leader' of the house-elves (denoted by his tea cozy hat, horseshoe tie, and brightly patterned mismatched socks) and began chattering at him while flailing his arms about in a frantic fashion.

An expression of alarm flit across the face of the 'leader', a house-elf known as Dobby (to those who cared to learn his name), and he called out to several house-elves, once Floozy finished.

Speaking quickly, Dobby pointed to each elf, giving them instructions.  Each house-elf nodded in understanding, then winked out to destinations unknown.

Taking Floozy's arm, Dobby guided the shaken house-elf to the kitchen fireplace, pushed him down onto a small stool, and handed him a small mug of butterbeer to calm him.

****************************************************************************************************

Scrambling down the stairs of the Headmaster's office, Ron, Harry, and Hermione were relieved to have escaped the presence of the disagreeable potions master relatively unscathed.  While they knew the Headmaster wouldn't have let them come to any harm, it was still extremely unpleasant to be glared at for over an hour.

As the trio made their way back to the Gryffindor dorms, a quiet silence fell upon them.  Hermione cast a worried glance at Ron.  Spying a door that led to one of the classrooms, she grabbed the red-head's arm and pulled him into the room.  A confused Harry followed, closing the door behind them.

"Ow...hey!!  What's with the tug-of-war with my appendages?"  Ron frowned.

After quickly placing a silencing charm on the room, Hermione spoke firmly to her friend, "You can't tell your father, and especially not Percy."  

"I wouldn't tell Percy what I ate for breakfast!"  Ron said with irritation.

"And your father?"  Hermione asked softly.  "I know you admire your dad a great deal, and tell him everything, but you can't say anything to him either."

"But he wouldn't say anything, Herms!"  Ron exclaimed.

"Ron, even if he didn't want to, he is bound by Ministry rules to disclose information on situations such as this.  He has no choice in the matter, and that's why you can't say anything to him."  Hermione was unwavering in her stance.

"She's right Ron.  Do you want to put someone in danger, just because you want to tell your dad?  I'd like to tell Sirius everything, but even _I know telling him about this could have disastrous consequences."  Harry added._

"But…" Ron faltered.

"Questionable loyalties, Ron.  There is no doubt that your dad is on the side of good, but he's surrounded by many people who may not be."  Harry said softly.

Ron sighed, "You're right. I know you're right.  I just don't like to keep secrets from my family.  I won't say anything until Professor Dumbledore says it's ok."

Harry and Hermione smiled at him in approval.

Dispelling the silencing charm, the trio continued their trek back to the Gryffindor tower.

Upon entering the common room, they were quickly bombarded with questions from their housemates.  Having kept secrets from their fellow Gryffindors before, the trio were easily able to put on a believable act.  Hermione described the 'snakes' and their lethal properties, while Ron exaggerated the size of the 'little buggers' (Hermione pushing his hands to less than a foot apart, after Ron tried to convince the other students that the recently hatched snakes were four feet long).  Harry just stood there quietly with a small smile on his lips, as he usually does when his two best friends are describing something he did.

Their housemates ate it all up.

****************************************************************************************************

Back in the Headmaster's office, the two professors remained behind, watching the exuberant teens fly out with an energy vaguely remembered from their own youth. 

Taking a brief moment to move to the seats recently abandoned by the young students, Snape and McGonagall fixed their gaze on the man behind the desk.

"Visions, Albus?"  McGonagall asked.

"From Voldemort?"  Snape added, arching his eyebrow.

"Ah yes, I was afraid you would be bringing that up again."  Dumbledore sighed wearily.  "I must ask that this information goes no further than this room, and must be kept from Voldemort by all means possible."

The Headmaster gave Snape a sharp look, and the dark haired professor nodded in understanding.

"It would seem that the scar our young Harry received from Voldemort somehow connects them together when the Dark Wizard is either physically nearby or having particularly strong feelings of hatred.  I have been told that Harry's latest vision was just before the term began, and was somewhat painful this time."

"What was this vision about?" Minerva asked.

"Unfortunately, Harry has not chosen to reveal that information to me as of yet."  The Headmaster sighed, a sad look on his face.

"Well get the brat back up here and make him tell you!" Snape snapped.

Dumbledore pinned his gaze on the potions master and spoke sharply, "Severus, you would do well not to insult the boy because he has not chosen to speak to me of his visions.  Young Harry is not very trusting of adults, and it has taken me this long to get him to open up as much as he has.  I will not push him further, and risk losing what trust he _does_ have in me.

"No.  Harry must make his own choice to trust me, but I hope he will not take much more time to do so.  I fear that his visions will only become worse as Voldemort gains power.  How much worse, I do not wish to imagine."

Snape scoffed, "You are mistaken in allowing him to set the terms of your relationship.  The boy is spoiled, and your coddling will only make him worse."

"Do not think to judge him on what you presume to be true, Severus.  You know nothing of him, and choose to turn a blind eye to what is right in front of your face."  Dumbledore responded angrily, then softened as he said, "Take the time to look into his eyes, Severus.  Truly look.  You will be surprised at what you find.  And when you finally do see the truth, I can only hope that you will not be too hard on yourself over your treatment of him."

****************************************************************************************************

It was in secrecy that these big-eyed and big-eared creatures moved, passing along, to others of their species, information known only them.  Much deliberation and planning commenced among these small creatures known as house-elves – strangers to each other as individuals, but familial in their common cause. 

To various locations around the world, Britain, France, North America, these miniature figures were sent to accomplish specific tasks in secret.

In a plain sparsely furnished studio apartment, one of these house-elves appeared, causing its lone occupant to start in surprise.  With a quick spell, unknown to anyone outside their species, the occupant's mind was erased of a specific memory, leaving him momentarily staring blankly at the newspaper in his hands.  Once she ensured that all the occupant's possessions were erased of information relating to the memory, the house-elf quickly disappeared again.

The occupant shook himself out of the blank stare, muttering to himself, "Daniel Sideburn you have _got _to get some sleep.  Too bad I ran out of pepper-up potion last week."

Dropping the newspaper emblazoned with "Sunnydale Times" at the top, Daniel walked into his bedroom and shut the door.

As evening turned into the witching hours in Scotland, Dobby himself popped over to the leading wizard newspaper, The Daily Prophet.  Human figures were scurrying about, as they rushed to put the final touches on the newspaper to be copied for delivery the next day.  Production had barely begun when the small figures, who generally went unnoticed anyway, quietly spread themselves out.  At the designated signal, from Dobby, they began to softly chant, weaving their magics about the building.

The scurrying of the humans slowed, until they finally stopped whatever they were doing, and stood trance-like in their places.  The production equipment stopped and became silent.

Dobby plucked one of the completed newspapers from the line, chanted a protection spell upon in, then rolled it up and placed it into a pocket of his cloak.

The magic continued to twine about and around the humans, erasing specific memories and replacing them with others.  And, as the mantra whispered to an end, the newspapers began to glow.

Their chanting complete, the house-elves watched as their magic sought out what they specified it to.  Scribbled notes disappeared completely, and the stylized print on the newspapers began to morph, the headline being replaced with a story on the Tri-Wizard Tournament.

Dobby watched carefully, as the last original front page began to fade.  He nodded his thanks to his fellow elves before disappearing from the Daily Prophet building.  

As the last memory was replaced, and the last newspaper changed, the elf magic disappeared.  The equipment started to run again, and humans began to scurry about once more, continuing with their projects, not noticing the house-elves drifting away quietly.

Back in the Hogwarts kitchen, Dobby trotted into his small private room.  Opening up his special 'sock drawer', he moved aside several of the brightly designed footwear to make room for the important document he carried.  

Dobby removed the newspaper from his cloak pocket and unrolled it, scanning the contents of the front page with a small sad smile.

Half of the paper in his hands was covered by a wizard picture of a malevolent looking cloud of light, swirling round and round, occasionally shooting bolts of lightening.  A non-moving muggle picture of a brightly smiling blonde woman took up the bottom left-hand corner.

Garishly splashed across the top of the page, just underneath the "Daily Prophet" logo, it read:

**                               Slayer Defeats Hellgoddess, Then Dies In Portal**

                                                        By Daniel Sideburn

Dobby sighed as he rolled the newspaper back up, placed it into the drawer, and covered it up with socks.  No one would disturb the drawer, as all house-elves have a high belief in ethics, and no humans were interested in socks – besides, they rarely came to the kitchens anyway.

As he closed the drawer, he sighed and spoke to himself.  

"No one must know.  Not yet.  Someday…soon.  House-elves know it is not _all true.  _She_ is not dead.  __She will tell Dobby when they can know."_


	3. Just Call Me Oda Mae Brown

Note to Reader's, The Full Title is:

When It's Time to Change, You've Got to Re-Arrange, Who You Are and What You're Gonna Be  

(The title also end's with a lot of Sha na na's, and if you understand this, you've must be as old as I am.  LOL)

Anyone going to take a guess at where I got the title??  *pout*  No one has even tried.

A/N:  A big thank you to Gryphnwng, whose review I am still trying to recover from.  In case no one recognizes the name in this chapter's title, Oda Mae Brown is a character from "Ghost", particularly a psychic/medium, played by the ever talented Whoopi Goldberg.  After you read this chapter, you'll understand why I chose to name it thus.

Also, there have been a couple of requests regarding pairings.  I've decided to take a page out of Fyre's book, and will refrain from listing them – I have to have _something_ to taunt you all with.  LOL  Besides, I have only decided on one pairing so far…the others I'm still debating on.  But be warned, the other pairings will probably _not_ be a focal point of this story – and, if anything, will only be mentioned towards the tail end of the story.  Though, anything can change.  :) 

Just Call Me Oda Mae Brown

_Here's something to think about: How come you never see a headline like 'Psychic Wins Lottery'?   **Jay Leno **_

_'Five days.  It's been five bloody days.  Well, ok, four and a half really.  But she should be awake by now!'_

Harry was worried.  It was dinner at the end of the fifth day from when _it happened, and the Headmaster had just indicated that the mysterious young woman still hadn't woken from her coma-like state.  _

At every meal since the portal incident, Harry had sought out Dumbledore's gaze cocking his head and raising his eyebrows to ask the same question each time…'Is she awake yet?'  And each time, the Headmaster shook his head to answer 'no'.

He and his friends exchanged concerned glances.  They knew that, by all indications, the young woman was perfectly healthy and physically healed – she just wasn't…there, mentally.  They had discovered this by the end of the second day, when Hermione was able to see her in the infirmary.

Concerned about the woman's physical well-being, Hermione had sent a request to her parents to send muggle books on medical care for coma patients, specifically on the physical aspects.  

Upon receiving books on massage therapy, Hermione had immediately sought out the Headmaster to find out if Madam Pomfrey had set up a regiment to ensure that the young woman's muscles wouldn't become atrophied, should she remain unconscious for an extended period of time.  

After voicing her concerns, Hermione was told that the medi-witch had already spoken with Dumbledore, but was at a loss as to how she should proceed, since the muscle stimulant potions she was giving the young woman were not exactly designed for someone who was unconscious for longer than 48 hours.

With a flourish, the brainy Gryffindor presented her therapy books to the smiling Headmaster, after ensuring him she had procured them from her parents on the pretense that she needed them for the next time Harry or Ron knocked themselves unconscious by doing something stupid.

Dumbledore asked her to deliver the volumes to Madam Pomfrey, and to help with the understanding of treatments that didn't require the use of magic or potions.  While the medi-witch was well-versed in medicine of the wizarding world, her understanding of muggle medicine was somewhat lacking.  Hermione was only too happy to agree.  

Between the two of them, they were able to coordinate therapy sessions that were scheduled around the young Gryffindor's classes, so Hermione could provide another set of hands to help out, especially when the medi-witch was tied up with other patients.

In speaking with Madam Pomfrey, and by her own observations during the therapy sessions, it was apparent that there was nothing _physically_ wrong with the young woman.  As to why she hadn't regained consciousness, it was anybody's guess.

The three Gryffindors quietly finished their evening meal, then made their way back to their common room.  For Ron and Harry, the need to finish their homework overrode any thoughts of sneaking up to the infirmary to get a peek at the young woman themselves.  The winter holidays were now over, and the teachers were quelling any leftover feelings of good cheer with gobs of homework assignments. 

Entering the common room to find it virtually empty (everyone was still at dinner), the three friends quickly claimed their spots and pulled out their textbooks.  Ron and Harry, Divination, and Hermione, Arithmancy.

After Hermione's quiet, "I'll try to find out something later," the silence was only prevailed by the scratching of quills on parchment.

Three hours later found the trio finishing up their work, now surrounded by the chattering voices of their housemates, who had returned a couple of hours ago.

Ron and Harry cleared up their books and supplies, making room for their nightly chess match.  Laughingly, they exchanged the predictions they used in their Divination essays – Harry had chosen to die from multiple stab wounds delivered by a dark villainous figure who swooped down from a dark hidden corridor within the castle, Ron chose to be severely maimed by a crazed centaur who trampled him, and was then on the verge of death.

Hermione just rolled her eyes and pulled out one of the medical books her parents sent her.  Before she had to leave to help the evening massage therapy, Hermione was hoping to find any information that would help to explain why the mysterious young woman didn't wake, but she didn't think it was likely.

Everything was winding down a couple hours later.  Ron and Harry had moved on to exploding snap, and Hermione had already left and returned from helping Madam Pomfrey with one of the therapy sessions.  

After Hermione told the two boys, in brief words, that there still was no change, the three friends bid each other good-night.  Gathering their personal items, they made their way to bed.

The nightly ritual of preparing for sleep was short for the two boys, and they quickly made their way to their beds.  Ron fell asleep immediately, but Harry was having some trouble, and only fell into a light doze about an hour later.

****************************************************************************************************

Harry never knew what actually woke him, but there he was, annoyingly awake in the middle of the night.  Grabbing his glasses from the nightstand, he then picked up his wand and quietly breathed out the incantation to tell him what time it was.

_'1 bloody am.'_  He groaned softly, so as not to wake up his roommates, and rolled out of his bed.  Padding barefoot to the restroom, he took care of business then returned to his room.  Lying back down, he attempted to make himself go back to sleep, but it was useless…his body refused to go back to the Land of Zs.  And for some reason, his thoughts were racing, compelling him to do…something.  But what?

Cursing softly, Harry got up again and quickly dressed, tucking his wand into a pocket.  Grabbing his invisibility cloak and the Marauders Map, he quickly made his way down to the common room, then out the main door.  

Standing in the empty corridor, Harry unrolled the map to see who he would have to avoid at this hour, and was pleased to find that only Filch was up, but was outside the castle near the lake (along with Mrs. Norris, that bloody cat).

_'Well, no worries there, then.__  So, let's see where my feet lead me.'_  Harry thought, then let his racing thoughts lead him to…wherever.

Not really paying attention, and only occasionally looking at the map to ensure that no one else decided to have a midnight stroll also, Harry eventually found that his feet had led him to the infirmary.

_'Figures.'_  Harry snorted.  _'I must be more worried than I thought.  I may as well go in, since I won't be able to sleep until I see her.'_

Being very careful, Harry turned the knob of the door to the infirmary as quietly as possible.  With a soft 'snick', he opened the door just wide enough for him to slip through, thankful that it didn't creak.  

Tip-toeing to the medi-witches office (where Hermione had told him the entrance to the private room was located), Harry listened for any noises to indicate that Madam Pomfrey was still up.  Hearing nothing, and seeing no lights, he entered the office.

Supposedly, the door to the private room was behind the desk, but only a blank wall greeted him.

_'Bloody hell.__  Now what am I supposed to do.'_  Harry thought, while beating himself over the head for not thinking that the private room would be hidden, and the entrance keyed only to authorized people.

As Harry continued to berate himself, he was startled when the stones on the blank wall began to morph until a doorway appeared.

_'Bloody Hell.'_

Not taking the time to question why the doorway would appear for him, Harry quickly opened the door and slipped through, taking care to shut it softly behind him.

Harry was surprised to find that the room was not completely dark.  Sconces with softly lit candles hung on the walls around the room, giving off warm gentle light.  He was pleased to see that, should the occupant awaken, she wouldn't be frightened by waking to an unfamiliar pitch black room.

The room was sparsely furnished – a nightstand, a couple of chairs, and the lone bed that the young woman lay upon.  

Harry moved closer, and on nearing, he could see why Hermione was confused as to why the woman wasn't conscious – the woman lay as if in peaceful repose, and looked as if she may waken at any moment.  Her blonde hair was spread across the pillow, and her expression looked serene, a faint blush upon her cheeks.

_'She looks like one of those fairytale princesses, who will awaken with a kiss.'_  Harry mused, then blushed at his thoughts.

_'Maybe…'_ Harry cheeks reddened even further, but he gathered his courage, leaned over, and brushed his lips softly over the woman's.  

Stepping back, he peered closely at the woman, to see if there was any reaction.  The woman didn't move.

_'Well, either that wasn't the solution, or I'm not her True Love.'_  Harry thought, his blush still lingering, telling himself that there was no way in Hell he would reveal this experiment to Ron or Hermione.  They would tease him mercilessly.

Harry sat in one of the chairs next to the bed, and continued to quietly observe the woman.  Other than his worries, he had no idea why he was so compelled to come here.

Several moments passed as the young Gryffindor sat there in silence.  A feeling of lethargy overcame him, and he slumped bonelessly back in his seat.  His gaze was still fixed on the unconscious woman as a soft warmth slowly spread through his limbs.  At some level, Harry knew his scar was glowing white again, gently throbbing in sync with his pulse. 

Knowing that something important was happening, Harry didn't fight the sensations, and kept his eyes firmly focused on the woman.  His diligence was rewarded when faint glowing lights began to appear on the woman's body.

In a straight row, ranging from her lower abdomen to the top of her head, seven differently colored lights glowed, somewhat muted.  Memorizing the colors, and their general placement, Harry noted absently that all the colors seemed to be a bit muddied.

When his gaze fell upon the woman's head, he was startled to see the color stretched out, wispy-like, far above her head.  The glow was a violet color that faded to white the further it was away from her body, and wafted gently in the air.  As Harry stared at it, he noticed that the contact point to the woman seemed to thin out then become more solid, only to thin out again – the thinness staying in place longer than the solidity.  Harry's brow furrowed – he knew this probably wasn't a good sign.

Harry felt the lethargy begin to leave him, and made sure the information was firmly locked into his memory.  And, as the soft warmth leeched out of his body, the glowing lights faded from his sight.

Jumping from his seat, Harry quickly made his way to the door.  Knowing there would be nothing else for him to see, he was determined to write everything down as soon as possible.  As he exited the room, he took one last look at the young woman, before quietly shutting the door.  

Turning to the desk in the medi-witches office, Harry searched for some blank parchment, already having grabbed the ink and quill on the desk.  Though uncomfortable about having to invade Madam Pomfrey's privacy, Harry forced himself to rummage through the desk before he found a stack of unused parchment.

Quickly sketching out the general form of a body, Harry first marked the location of the glowing points, then numbered them.  On another parchment, he marked the numbers and their coordinating colors, being sure to make a note that the colors, though glowing, were muddied and muted.  On a third parchment, he drew a side view of a head, and made notations of the wispy thread, giving the color range and the fact that it seemed to be fading in and out.  

When he finally finished marking down everything he could remember, Harry cleaned up after himself while he waited for the last of the ink to dry.  As he rolled up the scrolls, Harry felt the weight of exhaustion fall upon him.  He made his way out of the infirmary after checking the map to ensure that Filch was still making his rounds elsewhere.

Harry's trek back to the Gryffindor Tower was thankfully uneventful.  Placing the scrolls into his bookbag, he quietly undressed, crawled into his bed, and promptly fell asleep.

****************************************************************************************************

"Harry!  Harry!  Wake up!  We're going to be late for breakfast!"  Ron was standing near the head of his best-friend's bed, and shaking his shoulder.

"Ergh…"  Harry mumbled, ignoring the efforts of his red-headed friend, and rolled over to go back to sleep.

Giving an exasperated sigh, Ron yanked the pillow out from under Harry's head and tugged the covers to the foot of the bed, leaving his friend's body exposed to the cold.

"Rooooooon!!  Lemme alone…so tired."  Harry mumbled, throwing out an arm to look for his covers.

"Get up slug-a-bed.  We have potions this morning, and I'm sure you don't want to go to _that class on an empty stomach."  Ron quipped.  "And why are you so tired anyway.  We went to bed at the same time, and you're usually up before me."_

"Yeah, but your brain didn't force you to take a midnight stroll last night…er…early this morning."  Harry grumbled, sitting up in his bed, stretching and yawning.

"Midnight stroll?  Care to share?"  Ron gave him a questioning glance.

"Yeah.  But can the explanation wait until we meet up with Hermione?  I don't want to have to explain it twice."

Ron nodded his head in agreement, moving out of the way so Harry could get out of his bed.

Harry stood, grabbed his clothes, and made his way to the boy's lavatory.  Splashing cold water on his face, he did the best to clear the last of the cobwebs from his brain.  Harry quickly dressed and attempted to get his hair in some semblance of order, before running back to his dorm room to grab his book bag.

Making his way down to the common room, Harry was relieved to see it empty of everyone but his two friends.  Digging into his bag, he grabbed the scrolls he had jotted down the information on, and after giving his two friends an abbreviated version of his midnight adventure, he handed them over to Hermione.

She quickly scanned through them, her brow furrowed in concentration, while Ron read over her shoulder.

"I know this!"  Ron exclaimed.  "Those glowing areas are chakra points!"

Harry and Hermione stared at him in surprise.  It wasn't everyday that their red-headed friend knew something they didn't…or at least something that Hermione didn't.

"Uh…heh…"  Ron flushed, and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand.  "My mum went on a meditation kick a few years back - all this weird chanting and stinky incense.  These chakra points were a big part of the…uh…what was it…  Oh yeah, something about 'balanced energy system'.  Load of bollocks, if you ask me.  Thank God it didn't last long – I thought I'd never get the smell of chamomile out of my clothes."

Harry and Hermione blinked at him, and Ron flushed even more.  Finally, shaking themselves out of their surprise, the three friends discussed what their next step should be.  After a brief debate, they decided to make extra copies to give to the Headmaster and the Professors, and see if they could meet with the Dumbledore after their last class.

Hermione ran back to her dorm and grabbed some fresh parchment, then quickly cast copying charms to make three duplicates.  Harry jotted quick notes for the copies, and stuffed the original back into his bookbag.  The copies were rolled up separately, to be delivered to the Headmaster, the Deputy Headmistress, and the Potions Master at breakfast.

Having done that, the three friends ran down to the Great Hall for their morning meal.  After a quick detour to the head table to make their deliveries to Dumbledore and McGonagall, the three teens took their customary seats at the Gryffindor table.  Professor Snape was absent from the main table, so Harry stuffed the last copy back into his bookbag, to give it to the potions master at the end of their class.

As they were running a little late, Ron, Harry, and Hermione quickly scarfed their food down, then dashed off to the dungeons for their potions class.  They made it with two minutes to spare.

Professor Snape swooped into the classroom as usual, forcing Harry to hide a smile as he was reminded of a particular prediction from his Divination essay.  Ron elbowed his friend and mouthed the word 'stab', while giving him an evil smirk.  Harry lost it, and had to cover his burst of laughter with a fake cough.

Snape glared at them, but fortunately didn't deduct any house points.  

The class went as it usually did – the Slytherins were praised and given points, the Gryffindors were insulted and had points taken away.  But no class would be complete without Neville Longbottom exploding his cauldron, which he did spectacularly, and had to go to the infirmary to have the boils removed from his face.

The class mercifully drew to a close, and the students quickly gathered their books and supplies.  Ron, Harry and Hermione dawdled, in order to give the parchment to the potions master as soon as everyone left.

Once the class was empty of all other students, Harry dug out the parchment copies and approached the snarky potions teacher.

"Uh…Professor Snape?"  Harry tentatively called out to the teacher.

Turning a fierce glare at the young teen, Snape sneered, "Mr. Potter, to what may I attribute the extra attention you bestow upon me.  Could it be you enjoy my class so much that you are reluctant to leave?"

Harry wasn't going to touch that question with a ten-foot pole, and quickly said, "We tried to give this to you at breakfast, but you weren't there."

Holding out his hand that held the rolled parchments, Harry offered it to the smirking potions master.  Snape snapped it out of his hand, and quickly unrolled it.  After briefly perusing it's contents, he returned his intense gaze to the boy who stood uncomfortably before him.

Removing his wand from inside his robes, Snape murmured a quick silencing spell on the dungeon room before sharply asking, "When did this occur?"

Harry shifted his weight from one foot to the other, clearly reluctant to answer.

"Answer my question truthfully, Mr. Potter.  The time may have some relevance to this."

Slowly, Harry answered, "About 1:30am, sir."

Snape nodded before asking, "I assume you have requested a meeting with the Headmaster about this?"

Upon receiving nods of confirmation from the three students, he rolled the parchments back up and placed them into one of his desk drawers.

"Very well.  We will speak of it then."

The professor's tone of voice was a clear dismissal, so the three students made their way to the dungeon door.  They paused as Snape's voice called out to them.

"And Mr. Potter, 30 points from Gryffindor for breaking curfew rules."

****************************************************************************************************

The meeting in the Headmaster's office was brief.   It was confirmed that the glowing lights were chakra points, and that the wispy thread was an indication they were running out of time, but the only other results were more guesses and speculation.  The gathering broke up rather quickly, each person feeling different levels of frustration, as they were accumulating a lot more questions than answers. 

There was no point for the three young teens to continue discussing it, since they were no longer in the 'safe room', and couldn't chance having their conversation overheard.  Relegating their worry and guesswork to the back of their minds, they hauled themselves and their bookbags to the library to work on the History of Magic homework that was due in a few days.

Snagging a table that was relatively out of the way of the other students, they dumped their bags onto the table, pulling out the items they needed.  Exchanging whispered instructions, they agreed on what the assigned tasks would be for each of them.  Ron was the designated 'book-getter', Harry the 'information finder', and Hermione the 'note-taker'.  

While Ron went to pull the necessary volumes from the shelf, Harry and Hermione skimmed over the classroom textbook for any useful notations.  Once Ron had obtained some of the books, the search was on, and the three friends worked diligently in silence.

Every half-hour or so, the trio took breathers in order to keep themselves alert and coherent.  It was during one of these breaks that, keeping their voices low, they were giggling over the fact that Dumbledore had awarded 40 points to Harry for not fighting the compulsion to see the young woman.  Needless to say, Snape was _not pleased._

Hermione turned to ask Harry how he got around the bespelled wall, but gasped at the sight of her friend.  His scar was glowing white again, and his eyes were gazing glassy-eyed at nothing.

"H-harry?"  Hermione cautiously tried to get her friends attention, but received no response.

Ron went to clasp his shoulder, but Hermione quickly stopped him.

"I-I don't think that would be a good idea, Ron."

"What should we do?"  Ron turned anxiously to his frizzy-haired friend.

Before she could respond, Harry abruptly stood, knocking his chair over with a clatter.  His movements were slow and trance-like, as he turned and walked away from the table.  Ron and Hermione followed closely.

"Ron, get on his right side, quickly!  Try to hide him.  We can't let anyone see his scar."  Hermione rapidly instructed.

Ron swiftly complied, glancing at his messy-haired friend with concern.  Both he and Hermione noticed that Harry seemed to be moving in the direction of the Restricted Section.

"Ron, I'm going to have Madam Pince floo Dumbledore.  Hopefully, it will distract her from Harry entering the Restricted Section, _and _get the Headmaster here before something happens.  If you start going deep into the stacks, try to leave a trail so we can find you."  Hermione said before she darted off to the head librarian's desk.

Ron continued to walk at his best-friends side, casting nervous glances around and hoping they weren't attracting any unwanted attention.  No one seemed to be paying any attention to the duo, and they reached the entrance without notice.

Harry pressed down on the lever-handle, swung the metal gate open, and walked through the entrance.  Continuing his slow trek, Harry turned to the left, leaving Ron to close the gate behind them.  Swiftly but quietly, Ron shut the gate, then hurried to catch up to his friend, though at the slow pace, Harry hadn't gotten very far ahead.

With each twist and turn, Ron pulled a book off a shelf, and left it in the middle of the aisle, like very large, rectangular Hansel and Gretel breadcrumbs.  Ron's feeling of amazement grew at the sheer number of restricted books the castle contained, as the two boys trekked deeper and deeper into untold number of passageways.  

They finally stopped at a cavern hidden deep in the shadows.  Ron lifted his wand and called out a soft _lumos_, lighting the deep hollow with a faint glow.  The soft light revealed the sight of hundreds of books shelved in shallow alcoves within the previously concealed tomb.  

Harry apparently needed no light, as he unerringly moved to the shelf in front of him and reached up to pluck a book from the second shelf from the top.  

This is how the others found them.

****************************************************************************************************

Hermione walked as quickly as she could to the head librarian's desk.  Gaining her attention, she asked Madam Pince to use her fireplace and request that the Headmaster come to the library immediately.

Madam Pince gave her a disapproving look as she said, "The Headmaster is a very busy man.  You will need to give me a very good reason as to why I should disturb him."

"I'm sorry Madam Pince, I am not allowed to speak of it, but it is imperative that the Headmaster be notified immediately.  He will understand when you tell him that I said 'glowing white'.  Please direct him to the Restricted Section.  I will wait for him there."  Hermione said this as politely as she could, before she turned and made her way back to where she had left her two friends.

Moving to the Restricted Section, Hermione opened the gate and entered.  Instead of waiting at the door, she took a moment to locate the first of Ron's trail indicators, then returned to the entrance.  As she approached it, the door swung open and the Headmaster walked through, followed closely by Professors McGonagall and Snape.

Waving them to follow, Hermione turned back to where the trail began, the three adults followed as soon as Dumbledore instructed Madam Pince to lock the gate behind them.

Tracking the books left in the middle of the floor proved to be no problem, so the Headmaster took the lead, wand drawn.  As the trail led deeper into the stacks, Snape and McGonagall exchanged concerned looks, knowing that the further away you got from the entrance the more dangerous and volatile the book.  

Their worst fears were confirmed as they turned into a corridor that housed several hidden caverns, the deepest you could go in the Restricted Section.  While not all the books within these tombs contained spells of Dark Magic, it didn't mean they were any less dangerous.

Spying a faint light within one of the caverns, the Headmaster carefully walked towards it, and entered just as young Harry Potter pulled a book from a shelf.

****************************************************************************************************

Harry was only vaguely aware of what he was doing.  He felt no need to speak, as there really wasn't any information to convey.  The presence was guiding him somewhere, indicating when to turn right, when to turn left.

Upon reaching his destination, the presence guided him to chose THAT book, and no other.  So, he trustingly reached up to pluck it from its resting place.  Grasping it with both hands, the large tome fell heavily into his grip.  While not overly large, the book was thick, and had a solid, slightly tarnished lock holding the binding closed.

Turning to find a spot to place the heavy tome, Harry hazily notice that he and his friends were now joined by the Headmaster, Snape, and McGonagall.

Dumbledore stretched out his arms, and gestured for Harry to place the book there.  Without argument, Harry set the book in his hands, leaning the rest of the book on the Headmaster's forearms.

Letting his hand hover over the book, Harry felt his magic gathering within him, and softly spoke the word _'open'._

Ron and Hermione gasped as the catch unlocked, and the book cover opened – Harry hadn't used his wand.  The adults were silent, but they glanced piercingly at the young boy, before turning their gazes back to the book.

As his hand still hovered over the book, Harry spoke another word, '_find'_, and the pages began to flutter, before finally resting open to a page written in spidery writing.

Harry moved his hand back to his side, and stood silently before the others.

Seeing the glow of Harry's scar begin to fade, Dumbledore turned the book towards him, being careful not to lose the page.  Skimming the page briefly, he then searched his pockets for something to save his place, but only found an old lint covered red licorice twizzle-stick.  Hoping Madam Pince would eventually forgive him, he placed the semi-sticky candy into the groove between the pages and closed the book.

As Harry's scar returned to normal, or as normal as a lightning-bolt shaped scar could be, he seemed to be shaking himself out of a trance.  His eyes were once again focused, and he seemed surprised to see himself in an unfamiliar location, along with the fact that he was now surrounded by three adults in addition to his two friends.

Looking over to Hermione, he asked ominously, "They did it again, didn't they?"

Upon receiving her hesitant nod of confirmation, he turned his scowling face upward and growled, "I am _not_ a medium!  The next time you guys want me to do something, send an owl!"

Ron and Hermione held back their giggles, knowing their friend was upset, and wouldn't want them to laugh at him.  But Dumbledore and McGonagall let out a couple of chuckles, and even Snape let out a snort of amusement.

Harry glared at the potions master, his scowl deepening.  The potions master smirked at him.

The Headmaster juggled the book into one arm, then pat Harry on the shoulder.

"Well young Harry, it looks as though you had another unwanted adventure.  But if it makes you feel any better, I believe a particular spell in this book will help the young woman regain consciousness.  If that is the case, I'm sure _they_ won't be bothering you again."

Harry sighed, shoulders drooping, as he said, "I hope so.  It's no fun to feel like you've been sleepwalking, then waking up not knowing where you are or what you did."

Ron hurried to reassure him, "Don't worry mate.  There wasn't anything embarrassing, unless you count your glowing forehead, and I don't think anyone saw that."

"Thank you Ron."  Harry responded sarcastically.

Hermione giggled. 

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled in merriment as he gestured the group from the alcove.  Taking a moment to shrink the tome to a manageable size and placing it in his pocket, the Headmaster motioned the group to follow him back along the book strewn path.

"I believe we should return to the main library, if we do not wish to have any undue questioning by our esteemed librarian.  And Mr. Weasley, I'm sure Madam Pince would appreciate it if you would return the books you pulled back to their proper place."

"No problem!" Ron quipped.  "I pulled each book from the last shelf on right side of the aisle.  They were the last book on the third shelf from the bottom."

Hermione looked pleased at the fact that the red-head hadn't just pull books at random.  Maybe there was hope for his brain at last.

"…I think."

Or maybe not.

****************************************************************************************************

The three Gryffindors were disgruntled when they found they would not be privy to the discussion about the spell.  Apparently it was extremely powerful, and bordered on 'Dark Magic'.  The Headmaster didn't feel it would be appropriate for the children to take part in the debate, but assured them they would be informed of any decisions made.

It was with extreme annoyance that the teens returned to their studies, trying to get back into the flow of working on their boring history essay.  _Extremely boring, when compared to an unknown powerful spell._

After an hour of pointless scratching and doodling, they gathered their school supplies, returned the library books to the appropriate shelves, and made their way back to the Gryffindor Tower.

Dumping their school bags haphazardly, Ron pulled out a deck of exploding snap cards, and was even able to convince Hermione to forego her nightly reading frenzy and join in the game.

Each of them played badly, as they wondered about the conversation taking place in the Headmaster's office.

****************************************************************************************************

After reading the spell thoroughly, Dumbledore had turned the book over to the two professors sitting before him, and was now attempting to read their expression as they themselves read the contents inscribed on the page.

Minerva turned a shocked and worried gaze towards the Headmaster.

"Albus, do you realize how dangerous this spell is?  It would require a small number of powerful wizards and witches to perform this – a number that I don't believe we have here at Hogwarts.  The majority of the staff doesn't have the necessary magic level to be a part of this spell.  And while Flitwick may have the power, I don't believe he will be able to handle the physical backlash that may occur.  No, at most, it would just be the three of us, and that is not enough.  We would need at least one more wizard or witch who has a similar magic level…maybe two."

Severus sighed and reluctantly said, "I'm afraid you will have to count me out also."

Dumbledore gave him a questioning look.

"The spell is so close to being Dark Magic that my involvement may tip the scales."  Snape gestured at his left arm.

Giving him a look of understanding, the Headmaster sat back and stroked his beard in thought.

Sighing deeply, Dumbledore slowly spoke, "I know of two others who can be trusted with keeping this secret, but I know you may not like the idea, Severus."

"Black and Lupin." Snape said sharply with a look of displeasure on his face.

"They have the necessary power levels that would enable us to do the spell.  And we could include Professors Sprout and Flitwick as backup, should we need a boost.  Yes, it would work.  How long would it take to get them here?" Minerva questioned.

"Normally it would take a couple of days, but with Harry's surprising involvement in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, they have chosen to remain near enough to immediately apparate to the borders of Hogwarts, should anything happen to go wrong."

Dumbledore sighed tiredly.  "If what Harry saw is any indication, we should be thankful they are nearby.  The young lady is fading away, and it is imperative that we perform the spell as soon as possible.  I will send owls out to them immediately.  Sirius should arrive within an hour, and Remus no later than tomorrow morning.

"We will plan on performing the spell late tomorrow night, which will give us a portion of the day tomorrow should we need to prepare or rest.  Severus, though you will not be participating in the spell, I would still wish to have you there to help should anything go wrong."

Severus nodded, and moved to stand up, but the Headmaster held up a hand to stay his leave-taking. 

"Severus, I know you have…issues…with Sirius Black.  Should any harm befall him, it may affect his ability to perform the spell, and would thereby affect the recovery of the young woman.  I ask that you set aside your hostilities for the time being.  I will request the same of him, and seek to confine him to the infirmary for both his safety, and the sake of avoiding a confrontation with you.  Will you make the effort not to antagonize him needlessly?"

Snape's lips curled into a sneer, but he reluctantly nodded. 

"Now, before we end this meeting, I believe we have one last issue to discuss – Harry's surprising display of wandless magic."

Minerva, a concerned look on her face, spoke gravely, "How was he able to do that Albus.  Even if it is not as rare as other skills, wandless magic generally doesn't show up until a wizard or witch is at least in their early twenties – the youngest recorded being just shy of 21 years of age.  I've never heard of anyone showing this skill before they've even gone through puberty."

"It may be another oddity from Harry's connection with Voldemort.  There is much we don't know about how that connection affects Harry's magical development.  When you combine that with his experiences during the last 4 years, _and_ his muggle life, Harry is far more mature than your average 14 year old.  This combination may have triggered an early appearance."

Snape snorted in disbelief.

Dumbledore turned serious eyes towards the sneering potions master, "Do not mistake an adventurous spirit for stupidity, Severus.  While young Harry may be testing the waters and spreading his wings, he does so with caution and intelligence.  How else would he have passed the spells protecting the Sorcerer's Stone and then defeat the spirit of Voldemort housed within Quirell?  How would he have discovered the Chamber of Secrets and then vanquish Tom Riddle?  How is it that he had the strength of character to stay his anger in order to listen to the man found guilty of murdering his parents, and then have the compassion to keep his father's friends from killing the real murderer, in order to let him have a chance to stand trial?

"No, Severus.  Contrary to what you believe of him, Harry _is far more mature than you think.  No one his age would normally take the time to weigh the consequences, then choose that which benefits _others_, no matter the personal cost."_

Severus's eyes and face were void of expression, as he stared at the Headmaster.

Minerva cleared her throat to bring their attention back to the matter at hand.

"Albus, regardless of what may have caused Harry's display of wandless magic, is it something we will be able to deal with now?  Because of the age at which it usually makes its appearance, this ordinarily falls within the Ministry's area of influence.  You know how they insist on those wizards and witches, who test positive for the skill, to take the requisite courses shortly after their 20th birthday, in order to understand the dangers associated with its use, and another course when they obtain the gift.  The renewal of their apparation license requires them to complete the course.  But since Harry is nowhere near getting even his _first apparition license, we have nothing to influence him with.  Will he have time to learn what's necessary before the term ends?  Do we even have anyone qualified to teach him?  Should we notify the Ministry?"_

Minerva began panicking at the thought of having to bring the Ministry into anything connected with Harry.  

"Calm yourself, my dear.  I have no intention of letting the Ministry finding out about the early arrival of Harry's new skill.  While it may be inconvenient for it to show up now, Harry could use all the advantages he can get, if he has to face Voldemort again any time soon."  Dumbledore spoke calmly, then sat back, stroking his beard in thought.

After a moment of silence, the Headmaster nodded his head in decision.  

"A few of the professors here _are qualified to teach the subject of wandless magic, but between his class schedule and the Tri-Wizard Tournament, I do not believe Harry will have the time to learn anything but the basics, before the term ends.  I would not have him return to his family half-trained, so we will not attempt to teach him anything as of yet.  Though, I will meet with him regarding the subject, as it would be best to at least __tell him of it, and obtain his promise not to experiment over the summer holidays, nor speak of it to his friends."_

Snape let out an incredulous snort, saying, "And you'd believe him?  He alone has broken almost as many rules as the Weasley twins…combined.  And his friends?  They share a brain – what he knows, they will know.  Potter couldn't keep a secret from them if it was glued to his hand."

"The request will not be given as an order, but as a logical explanation of its dangerous consequences and valid reasoning for the need of secrecy – He will keep his promise, Severus."

The potions master looked unconvinced.

"I believe that will be all for now.  I will sent out the owls immediately, and schedule a meeting with young Harry tomorrow after breakfast.  And Severus, please remember _your _promise."

Snape glowered at him.

****************************************************************************************************

The morning meal was a cheerful event that morning, as it was announced there would be a Hogsmeade visit scheduled for the next day.  It was a pleasant, but well received, surprise for the students, as they had just returned from their winter holidays.  Voices chattered in excitement as the students deliberated over what they would do.

But Ron, Harry, and Hermione knew that the last minute planning had something to do with what happened the previous evening.  And it was confirmed when, just after the announcement, a house-elf appeared at Harry's elbow, handing him a sealed envelope.

Accepting the envelope from the shy creature, Harry turned it over to see the familiar scrawl belonging to the Headmaster.  He thanked the house-elf, who gave him a friendly smile before disappearing.

"Are you running out of friends of the human variety that you have to settle for dirty house-elf servants, Potter?"  A voice snarked.

Not bothering to turn his head toward the familiar voice at the Slytherin table, Harry absently said, "At least they have more brains than your two sidekicks, Malfoy."

Turning back forward, Harry opened the envelope, ignoring the growls of irritation from the table behind him.  It was a request from Dumbledore that he, Ron, and Hermione meet in his office after breakfast.  Handing the note to his friends, he returned to his meal. 

When they finished eating, the three friends quickly made their way to the Headmaster's office.  The meeting was brief, in which they were told that the spell would be performed late that night, but were not allowed to be in attendance (much to their irritation).

After extracting promises from all three to not make any attempts to sneak their way in, Ron and Hermione were given a note of excuse and dismissed to go to their class, but Harry was asked to stay behind.  

"I won't keep you long, Harry.  I needed to speak with you about something that happened in the alcove yesterday evening.  How much do you remember?"

Harry looked thoughtful, saying, "I think all of it, but it's kind of fuzzy and blurry.  If I really concentrate on it, I can remember walking along the stacks, then into the alcove.  After that, I remember getting a book from one of the shelves and turning to see you and the other professors there, along with Ron and Hermione.  Then I set the book into your hands and opened…it…"

Harry's eyes widened.

"Yes, Harry.  You opened the book using magic, but without your wand.  And that is what I wished to speak to you about."

"How…"  Harry was gob-smacked, mouth opening and closing like a fish.

"Ahhh…now that is something you weren't supposed to find out for another 6 or 7 years.  But then, you never seem to do anything by the book, do you Harry?"  Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he smiled warmly at the boy sitting before him.

The young teen blushed.

The Headmaster explained the basics of wandless magic to Harry, emphasizing the dangerous aspects of experimenting without a trained wizard or witch present, and the need for the information to be kept secret from those who were under the specified age limit.

"Great.  Another thing that makes me different."  Harry sighed.  "You're going to ask me to keep this from Ron and Hermione, aren't you?"

"I'm afraid you must, Harry."  Dumbledore gave him a sympathetic look.

"Well, I hope there aren't any books on it in the library, or Hermione will be finding out sooner than you think."

Dumbledore chuckled.  "Not to worry.  I've already instructed Madam Pince to forbid Ms. Granger from obtaining those books, and as they are in the Restricted Section, they will be closely guarded."

"I don't think that will stop her, sir."  Harry gave him a rueful grin.

"If or when that happens, we will address it then.  Now, I do believe your class has started already.  Double Potions with the Slytherins, isn't is?"  The Headmaster's eyes danced in amusement when Harry groaned.  "Don't worry.  I will give you a pass…along with instructions that Professor Snape is not allowed to deduct points for anything connected with your delay."

Harry scowled.  "Oh he'll find other ways, sir."

"As I and Professor McGonagall will find other ways to return them."  Dumbledore chuckled.

Harry laughed.

"Oh, and Harry?  I do believe there is a very friendly dog in the infirmary that would enjoy a visit after your last class this afternoon.  Would you do me the favor of delivering this note to Madam Pomfrey when you go there?"

His face beaming with pleasure, he assured the Headmaster that it would be no problem to deliver the envelope.

Harry practically skipped to the dungeons.

****************************************************************************************************

Double Potions went as Harry expected.  If he wasn't so irritated, he would have laughed over the 30 points Hermione lost because Snape accused her of frizzing her hair bigger in order to keep him from seeing the contents of her cauldron.  Harry didn't think Hermione would be amused to know her friend thought it was funny.

In all, Gryffindor lost 120 points – 50 of them due to Neville destroying yet another cauldron.  Though he liked the shy Gryffindor, Harry was forced to concede that the House Cup would have been a shoo-in for the last four years, if they hadn't lost so many points due to Neville's mishaps.

Harry sighed.  With the conspicuous absence of the Headmaster and Professor McGonogall, the noon meal had been somewhat subdued, but quickly over.  Now, in Charms, the time seemed to drag on forever.  

_'It figures.'_ Harry thought.  _'When you have places to go and people to see, time is as slow as the thinking process of Crabbe and Goyle.'_

Just when he thought there would be no end, his class finally drew to a close.  Harry crammed his supplies into his bookbag, and waved to Ron and Hermione as he departed.  Ron was still a little miffed that he couldn't join him, but had admitted it would be odd for two healthy young boys to be seen entering the hospital wing without good reason.  Hermione had finally gotten him to see this logic, though it almost took a crowbar and funnel to get that common sense to soak into his brain.  Of course, the threat of hexing him with a _petrificus_ totalus _helped._

Harry walked to the infirmary as quickly as his legs would take him, almost forgetting about the trick step on one of the stairways in his haste.  Narrowly avoiding that misstep, he dragged his attention back to where he was, and made it to the hospital wing without further mishap.

Upon entering the infirmary (quietly, mind you), he swiftly made his way to Madam Pomfrey's office towards the back, and stood uncertainly at the open doorway.  Gaining her attention, he handed her the Headmaster's note.

"Professor Dumbledore wanted me to give this to you, and said that I could visit with Snuffles for a while."  Harry looked around for the large black dog.  "Uh…where is he?"

The medi-witch, reading the note in her hand, waved her wand absently behind her, causing the doorway to appear in the castle wall.

Briefly looking up from the message, she said, "The Headmaster insisted that flea-bitten canine be allowed to keep her company…something about coma patients responding well to the presence of pets."

Madam Pomfrey scrunched up her nose in disgust, but waved Harry through the opening before returning her attention to the note.

Harry held back a giggle, wondering how the medi-witch would feel if she knew that it was a thirty-something year old man that was alone in the room with her patient, and not a dog.  Shaking his head, he opened the door and stepped through.

Closing the door behind him, Harry looked in the direction of the young woman's bed.  He was surprised to find someone sitting in one of the chairs next to the bed, in addition to seeing his godfather, in canine form, with his nose buried in the young woman's hair, giving her a soulful look.

"Professor Lupin!"  Harry exclaimed in surprise.  "The Headmaster didn't tell me you would be here also!"

"Hello Harry.  It's good to see you again."  The brown-haired man gave him a friendly smile of welcome.  "And please call me Remus.  You know I'm not your professor anymore, but I would be honored to call you friend."

Harry grinned, and walked closer to the raggedly dressed man.  He hesitated a moment, but at because of the affable and relaxed posture of the other man, he gave him a brief hug in greeting.

Remus Lupin was startled for moment, as not many people felt comfortable touching the werewolf, but after his brief hesitation, he gently returned the hug.

Stepping back, Harry glanced in the direction of his godfather, who had just extracted his nose from the young woman's neck.  

"What's with him?"  Harry asked Lupin, a little hurt that he hadn't received his godfather's usual exuberant greeting.

"I think he's smitten."  Remus responded with a faint smile gracing his lips.

"Smitten?!"  Harry snorted in amusement.  "How can you be smitten with someone you've never met, who's in a _coma?"_

Remus laughed.  "Out of all the Marauders, Padfoot always _was_ the one to be different."

If it was possible, the canine managed to look both embarrassed and affronted.  As the dog dropped his front paws back to the ground, he transformed into the familiar form of Harry's godfather, Sirius Black.  His black hair was a little longer, and he still wore the scraggly robes from the last time Harry saw him, but at least he didn't look as scrawny.  

He scowled at Remus, his cheeks tinged pink.  Turning to his godson, his face lit up with a grin.  Bounding over, he gave Harry a big hug, before pulling back to scrutinize the young teen.

"How are you holding up Harry?"  Sirius asked, a concerned look on his face.

"I'm doing well, though getting tired of being the middle-man for the mortal plane and whoever."  Harry responded a little grumpily, waving his hand up at the ceiling.  

"Yes, about that…I think some explanations are in order.  Would you care to get us up to date on what's been happening around here?  Dumbledore hasn't seen fit to enlighten us on the situation."  Sirius arched an eyebrow in question.

Harry sighed, but nodded his assent, gesturing Remus to take his seat again.  As there was only one other chair, Sirius let Harry take it, choosing to sit on the young woman's bed, holding her hand.  Remus and Harry exchanged an amused look.

The next hour was spent on catching his godfather and Remus up on the latest secret news.  Since Remus and Sirius were apparently going to take part in the spell later that evening, Harry had no reservations in revealing everything.  The hour following was spent over-analyzing all the events until Harry called a halt to it all. 

"Gah!  That's enough for me.  The Headmaster is right in saying that _she will wake up before we find any answers."  Harry waved his hand at the young woman laying silently on the bed._

"Yes, there is much too much to consider, isn't there."  Remus mused silently.

Any response was interrupted by the noise of the door opening.  Sirius quickly turned into his animagi form, jumping down off the bed before turning in the direction of the entryway.

A tall dark figure slipped in quietly, and closed the door behind him.  The three conscious occupants recognized the potions master, though none were pleased to see him.

Taking in the sight of two other people in the room of the unconscious girl, the potions master's eyes then fell on the canine, who was peering around the side of the bed and growling softly.  He tensed, giving the dog a cold look.

"Black."

A/N:  I _promise she'll wake up soon – probably the next chapter.  Sorry there weren't any elves in this one, but they will return, scouts honor!!_


	4. Waking the Dead

Note to Reader's, The Full Title is:

When It's Time to Change, You've Got to Re-Arrange, Who You Are and What You're Gonna Be  

(The title also end's with a lot of Sha na na's, and if you understand this, you've must be as old as I am.  LOL)

A/N:  Congrats to goggler!!  He/She guessed where I got the idea for the title.  For all you readers who haven't read the review section, the title came from a Brady Bunch song.  Don't ask me _why I chose to name it after that, it's just a little quirk from my oh-so-wonderful brain._

Patience Anon, she will wake up.  And I did mention that the house-elves would be back.  having this really odd image of Dobby with a crew-cut, wearing sunglasses, and saying "I'll be back" with an Austrian accent  *grin*  They won't make much of an appearance in this chapter, but the next one should start bringing them back into the story.

To all other reviewers..WOW…just…WOW.  You people are incredible!!  I can't tell you how much your reviews help keep me going.  This chapter wasn't supposed to be finished until this weekend (due to a boring thesis paper that I have to turn in by midnight this Saturday), but the wonderful comments gave me an energy boost! 

Waking the Dead

_There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered. **Nelson Mandela (1918 - ), 'A Long Walk to Freedom'**_

The large black dog growled, moving to block the bed with its bulk, and baring its teeth menacingly at the dark figure standing near the door.

"Sirius!"  Remus harshly whispered.  "Do you want Madam Pomfrey to kick you out of this room?  Stop that right now!"

The canine whimpered, but stopped his threatening growls, though he didn't move from his position of guarding the young woman.

"Really, Mr. Black.  Do you think, after what I have gone through to help rescue her, that I would now harm her?"  Snape arched an eyebrow in derision at the black dog.

The dog bare his teeth once more, either in dislike, or indicating that he believed the potions master _would hurt her…or maybe both.  _

Snape scowled.

"Not that it's any of your business, but I am here to see if there are any trace elements left of the potions given to her on the first day, in order to ensure there will be no adverse side-effects when the spell is performed this evening."

So saying, he stalked around the canine, making his way to the side of the bed.  He motioned Remus to shift his chair back, then proceeded to begin his examination of the young woman.

The potions master moved to place a hand on her forehead to check her temperature, gently stroking her hair back.  Sirius, still in canine form, shifted to the other side of the bed and gave a small 'wuff' of disapproval.

Snape continued his assessment of the woman's vitals – eyes, ears, pulse, fingernail color – ignoring the sounds of displeasure coming from the annoying canine every time he touched her.  But it was when he pulled back the covers and slightly pushed up the woman's top to expose her stomach, that the large black dog gave a low threatening growl.

"Mr. Black, I would appreciate it if you would refrain from making any more noise, or I _will_ have Madam Pomfrey remove you."  Snape snapped.

Taking a chance that the medi-witch wouldn't enter the room, Sirius transformed back to his human form.  Slapping the potions master's hand away from the young woman's exposed flesh, Sirius pulled the covers back over her form.

"Don't touch her, you slimy bastard!"  Sirius snarled.

 "Of all the…" Snape broke off in angry exasperation.  "Really, Black.  What do you think I am going to do?  Feel her up?"

"I wouldn't put it past you.  Greasy git.  Being unconscious is probably the only way a girl would allow you to touch them."  Sirius sneered.  

Snape's face darkened in anger.  "Very well, Black.  Then perhaps _you would like to tell me if her liver and pancreas are still swollen, or if her breathing is still erratic?"_

The two men glared at each other over the bed, neither giving ground to the other.

"Sirius, please.  Let him finish checking her."  Harry said softly, placing a calming hand on his godfather's arm.  "He won't hurt her, and it's important to know if there will be anything that will harm her during the spell."

Sirius gave a sharp nod, and reluctantly pulled the covers back.  Sitting on the bed, claiming the woman's hand again, he suspiciously watched where the potions master placed his hands.

Sneering at the animagi, Snape continued with his examination.  Once finished, he smoothed down the young woman's top, then pulled the bedcovers back up to her neck, covering her entire body, minus the hand that Sirius possessively held.  Snape looked thoughtfully at the young woman.

"I-Is she OK?"  Harry asked tentatively.

"She's remarkably well-healed, considering the damage Madam Pomfrey observed when she first arrived."  Snape responded absently.  "And without any healing potions either.  Most of the injuries she sustained should have taken several weeks to heal on their own."

Shaking himself out of his revere, Snape arched an eyebrow at the young teen, "That is another question to add to the ever-growing list, Mr. Potter.  We can only hope this young woman will be able to answer even half of them."

Snape moved away from the side of the bed, and headed for the door.

"Why wasn't she given any healing potions?" Remus asked quietly.

Pausing in his stride, Snape turned back to the werewolf.  "During the time Madam Pomfrey was waiting for the energy boosting and pain reduction potions to work, she noticed that the young woman's injuries began to heal on their own, at an alarming rate.  Pomfrey feared that the healing potions might interfere with whatever was causing the rapid healing, so chose to closely monitor the process instead."

"How long did it take?"  Harry asked, curious.

"The cuts and bruises took less than 24 hours.  The broken ribs, and most of the damage to her internal organs were repaired in 48 hours.  The rest had only slight swelling left, which was the reason I came here.  After my examination, I can safely say that, physically, she is now completely healed."

Eyes wide, Harry let out a low whistle, "Wow, that's fast!  Now I see why you want to add it to the list of unanswered questions." 

"Who _is_ she?"  Sirius whispered, as he gazed in awe at the young woman, stroking her hand.

"Only she will be able to answer that."  Snape said briskly, as he continued his trek to the door.  Placing a hand on the doorknob, he took a moment to briefly give the animagi a cold look.  "And Black, I would suggest you stop mauling her.  She will be confused enough with her surroundings when she wakes up, and does not need an unknown puppy-dog pawing at her appendages."

Not waiting for a reply, Snape opened the door and slipped quickly through it, a smug look on his face as he heard Sirius make a sound of anger.

****************************************************************************************************

Harry almost giggled at the look of righteous anger on his godfather's face, but held it back.  Snape did have a point, but he didn't have to put it so…bluntly, Harry mused.

Remus looked amused, but quickly wiped the expression off his face when Sirius turned to him.

"I can't believe that greasy git!  I am not _pawing_ her!" Sirius fumed, still clinging to the young woman's hand.

Glancing at the joined hands, Remus looked back up at Sirius.  "I hate to say this Sirius, but technically, you are."

"Et tu, Remus?"  Sirius gave him a hurt look.

Coughing to cover up his laughter, Harry smiled affectionately at his godfather.  "Well…maybe not _pawing her, Sirius, but you have to admit, you _are _being a little over-familiar with her, considering that she doesn't even know you."_

Sirius turned his hurt look towards his godson, then…pouted, but still didn't release the young woman's hand.  

Harry gave a little shudder at seeing the grown man pout.  _'That is just so…so…wrong.'_

Changing his expression to one of defiance, Sirius continued to stroke the young woman's hand, daring the other two to just try and stop him.

Shaking his head at his godfather's behavior, Harry made move to leave.

"Well, as much as I would like to stay, dinner will be starting soon, and I still have homework to do.  Both of you need to rest up for tonight, anyway."

Temporarily letting the woman's hand go, Sirius stood and embraced his godson.

"Come and see us again tomorrow morning, if Dumbledore lets you.  OK?"  Sirius ruffled Harry's hair affectionately.

Harry beamed at him before nodding, then moved to give the werewolf a brief hug before leaving the room.

Remus gave a contented smile to his friend.  "Thank you for sharing your godson with me, Sirius.  He is one special boy."

"He's as much your godson as he is mine, Remus.  There is no reason to thank me.  Besides, Harry gives his friendship to who he chooses, not who I choose."  Sirius smiled back at him, sitting on the bed once more and picking up the young woman's hand.

"So he does, so he does…but I still thank you for letting me share your time with him.  I know it's not often that you get to see him."  Remus smiled softly at his friend.

"We're best friends, Remus.  There's nothing I wouldn't share with you."

"Nothing?  Then you wouldn't mind if I…"  Eyes twinkling, Remus nodded his head at the woman.

"Don't even think about it."  Sirius glared at him.

Remus chuckled.

****************************************************************************************************

Excited chatter, unearthly humming, and big smiles filled the castle kitchens, as a multitude of house-elves scurried energetically around the large room, preparing the evening meal.  

It was a special day, very special, and the various courses showed the results of the house-elves' excitement.  Not many in the Great Hall would wonder at the lavishness of their evening meal, except to note that the house-elves had outdone themselves again.

But the elves knew.  _She would be returning to them.  Tonight.  And then it would be their turn…_

****************************************************************************************************

In the late eve, when darkness fell deep, the castle occupants drifted into dreams – at least all those who didn't have an ancient spell to perform.  

Eight figures bustled around the otherwise empty infirmary, making preparations for the most difficult spell any of them would perform in their lifetime.  Soul Magic.  Though oft thought as Dark Magic, and rightly so, the spell they would perform fell into a grey area.  The spell would do no harm, thereby keeping it from being Dark Magic.  But tampering with a person's soul, even with the best intentions, is not considered White Magic either.  Therefore, the spell was 'grey'.  

The ancient spell itself was one that drew someone's soul back to their mortal flesh, but only if the body could still sustain itself and if the soul hadn't fully departed to the "other-realm".  Neither the Headmaster nor the other wizards and witches would have even considered performing it, if it wasn't for the directions given by the entity that used Harry to 'communicate' with them.  Though the entity was unknown, it was undeniably 'good', and that, along with the young woman's condition, was enough for them to override any hesitations.

While the others gathered around Dumbledore, practicing to ensure they were speaking the spell correctly (as it was written in Ancient Latin), Madam Pomfrey and Professor Snape continued to prepare the area.  The main section of the infirmary was being used, so several of the beds were removed or shrunk to make room for the many occupants.

Spreading out a large length of raw linen on the floor, Madam Pomfrey set four candles in the places specified by the spell, but left them unlit.  As she began to sprinkle herbs onto the fabric, Snape left to retrieve the young woman.

Entering the private room, Snape made his way to the bed.  Folding back the covers, he looked at the young woman, wondering how someone could be fully grown, yet so tiny.  Gently gathering her in his arms, he lifted the woman from the bed, surprised by her light weight.

Holding her close, he gazed impassively down at her face as he quietly spoke, "Time to wake up."

Turning, Snape exited the room, being careful not to bump the young woman into the doorframe or the desk just outside the door, and moved slowly, almost reluctantly, back to the main part of the infirmary.

Upon approaching the area Madam Pomfrey had just finished preparing, Snape noticed Sirius break away from the group gathered around Dumbledore, heading in his direction.  Sure that the aggravating man was about to insist on carrying the young woman, even though he was just steps away from the prepared area, Snape tightened his hold on the woman and glared at the approaching man.

Seeing the potential confrontation, Dumbledore called out, "Sirius, could you please come back and practice the last phrase.  I don't think you pronounce the word vessel properly."

Giving the potions master a warning glare, Sirius returned to the group.

Snape relaxed his hold, and took the last few steps to the prepared area.  Being careful not to knock the candles out of position, he gently placed the young woman on the fabric.  Snape took a moment to rearrange her arms and legs to a more comfortable position, brushed back her hair from her face, and smoothed her garments, then stepped back.

Taking one more look around at the prepared area, he nodded to Madam Pomfrey.

"Headmaster, we're ready here."  Madam Pomfrey called out softly towards the group.

"Splendid!  I believe we are ready also."  Dumbledore looked at the group of wizards and witches gathered around him.  Upon seeing their nods of confirmation, he motioned them to the prepared area.

Snape moved to stand near one of the window-lined walls, out of the way of the people who would be performing the spell, but still having a clear view of the woman lying in the center of the fabric.  Madam Pomfrey watched from the other side of the room.

Dumbledore, McGonagall, Lupin, and Black each moved to one of the four candles, and stood about 6 feet behind them.  Sprout took her place between Dumbledore and Lupin, but stood 2 feet further back, and Flitwick did the same between McGonagall and Black.  Though Sprout and Flitwick would not be part of the actual spell, they needed to remain nearby if any of the others needed a magic boost.

Once everyone was in position, Dumbledore looked at McGonagall, who faced him.  She nodded.  The Headmaster than looked at Lupin on his left, waited for his nod, before turning to Black on his right, who also nodded.  Everyone was ready.

Dumbledore spoke a phrase in Latin, then raised his wand, pointing it at the candle before him, and spoke the words to light it.  When the candle wick burst into flame, the other three spoke a response, again in Latin.  Each candle was lit the same way – the person behind the candle speaking a (different) Latin phrase, lighting the candle, the others speaking the Latin response. 

Once each candle was lit, Dumbledore began a chant, the others joining in at their specified turn, all pointing their wands at the young woman lying in repose.  As the chanting continued, wisps of reddish light from each wand drifted to hover over the young woman, gathering in a cloud.  

After the chant was spoken the requisite number of times, the quartet fell silent, and McGonagall, Lupin and Black dropped their wands to their sides.  Dumbledore continued to hold his wand aloft, but now pointing his wand at the red cloud.  In a loud voice the Headmaster said:

_Release the soul from whence it drifts_

_Return the soul to its vessel_

_Restrain the soul to drift no more_

_This I command_

_Release, Return, Restrain…I command thee!_

The red cloud began to spiral round and round, moving towards the young woman's head.  Upon reaching her crown, the spinning intensified, swirling faster and faster.  As the group watched, a violet color became visible, stemming from the top of her head, and fading into white further away.  They recognized it as the chakra point Harry had described.

At some point, the cloud began to spin so fast, it looked solid.  The group was just beginning to wonder what would happen next, when the red cloud fused itself to the chakra point where it connected with the young woman's head.  In a burst of light, the cloud shot towards and through the ceiling, stretching itself out and leaving a trail of color in its wake.

Unsure of what was happening, the group looked at each other.  Sirius made a motion to move towards the young woman.

"Stop!" Dumbledore said sharply.  "It's not over yet.  Do not move from where you are, or you may break the spell."

Sirius opened his mouth to respond, but shut it quickly when Dumbledore held up a hand.  The Headmaster cocked his head as if listening for something.

As the group became more aware of their surroundings, they too began to hear what the Headmaster heard.  It was the roll of thunder, moving closer.

Snape was the only one who continued to watch the young woman, and, as a result, was the only one to notice that, as the storm drew closer, the chakra point thickened.  Standing near the window, he felt the glass vibrating wildly.  

Observing the storm that had quickly moved above the school, the vibrating glass, and the thickening chakra point, Snape made the connection.

Yelling out, "Everyone DOWN!  Cover yourself!" Snape dropped to the floor himself and placed his arms over his head.

His warning was just in time.  As the others also fell to the floor and covered their heads and faces, a bolt of lightening and thunder crashed directly above them, blowing the windows in.

Once the glass stopped falling, Snape careful peeked out over his arms.  Upon seeing there were no windows left, he felt safe enough to gingerly regain his footing.  Looking around to see if the others were likewise unharmed, his mouth dropped open on catching sight of what was before him.

The red cloud had returned…dragging a brightly glowing sphere.

The storm was now in a frenzy.  And, with the windows no longer in place, the wind buffeted them, but seemingly had no effect on the cloud or the spheres.  

Hoping it wouldn't affect the spell already in progress, Snape quickly murmured a charm to dispose of the shattered glass, before it cut them all to ribbons.  Seeing that there were no negative ramifications, he returned his attention back to the red cloud and its quarry – the soul of the young woman, he assumed – it looked as if they were…fighting.

The others had regained their feet by this time.  Bracing themselves against the battering winds, they watched the light show in awe.

As Snape looked closer, he was shocked to see that there was not just one sphere, as he originally thought, but two.  The first was trapped by the red cloud and being dragged back to the young woman's body, which was now trembling, the second sphere was…latched, for lack of a better word, to the first sphere, attempting to pull it away from the red cloud.

The tug-of-war was creating a massive tension in the area surrounded by the candles, building up pressure that felt like it was moments away from exploding.

"Albus, is this supposed to happen?"  Minerva yelled out, continuing to stand at her appointed place, though the struggling lights were uncomfortably close to them.

"I don't know."  Dumbledore shouted back.  

No one knew, but they did understand one thing…the soul didn't want to come back.

The group could only watch as the spell fought to complete itself, the red cloud pulling one of the luminous spheres towards the body trembling on the floor.  With one last massive tug, the two glowing orbs were torn apart, and the building pressure exploded, blasting all but Snape and Pomfrey off their feet and throwing them several feet away.

Pomfrey rushed to help the Headmaster sit up, but kept him from attempting to stand.  The others felt that they too should remain seated, and continued to observe from their places on the floor.

One of the spheres now hovered above the body, but the red cloud was forcing the other to conform to the shape of the female figure, which was now shuddering intensely as the magic ferociously battled to meld spirit with flesh.

As the power of the spell wove its way around and through it, the body levitated upright, floating several inches above the ground.  The light of the orb stretched to flow over the contours of the human shell, giving the skin an incandescent sheen, which grew brighter as the body was quickly engulfed.  

The occupants in the room gasped as the female form sprouted faint gossamer wings that spanned outwards with the same glow as the aura now surrounding her.  

A deep crack of thunder crashed outside, and the woman stiffed, then screamed in agony as, with a brilliant explosion of light, the glow burst apart in a flurry of twinkling lights, which slowly dissipated.  The spell was complete, and the body fell and crumpled to the floor.

In the ensuing silence, faint sobs could be heard.  Slowly, the newly restored woman painfully struggled to her hands and knees, her blonde hair tumbling over her shoulders.  Looking up at the orb still hovering over her, the young woman stretched out her hand to the soft light.  The glowing orb hovered just out of reach, bobbing gently.  

Crying tearfully, the young woman whispered in a scratchy voice, "M-Mom?"

For a brief moment, the orb shone brighter.  Fading back to its normal soft glow, the orb began to rise higher and drift toward a broken window.  A soft glow pulsed from the direction of the orb, which then disappeared through the opening and immediately ascended into the clearing sky.

"Noooooooooo!" the woman cried out, a look of utter devastation on her face, as she collapsed sobbing on the floor.

Having witnessed the spell from beginning to end, and understanding the devastating ramifications of what they saw, the wizards and witches stood stunned, listening to the young woman's grief-stricken crying.

Professor Sprout's face crumpled as she whispered, "Dear God…what have we done?", then, covering her face with her hands, began to silently weep.

****************************************************************************************************

The house-elves were gathered in the kitchen.  They had completed their work for the day several hours ago, but had been restless.  They had been waiting, but now their wait was over.

_She _is back.

_She _has returned to us.

Their excitement was tinged with a little sadness.  Yes, she had returned to them, but she hadn't wanted to come back.  They knew this, just as they knew that she _had_ to come back…they were told so.

So now _She_ was back, and it was their turn…

****************************************************************************************************

No one moved for several minutes, as the young woman continued to lie crumpled on the floor weeping in misery.  Each of their faces reflected varying degrees of shock and horror.

Being used to quickly schooling his features and emotions, Snape was the first to recover.  He swiftly moved towards the young woman, whispering a sleeping charm as he approached her.  Once the woman fell into a deep sleep, the potions master rolled her onto her back and gently gathered her in his arms again.  

Lifting her up, he made a move to return her to the private room, but was stopped by Dumbledore.

"Severus, why don't you put her in the bed closest to Madam Pomfrey's office.  The castle has reconfigured itself back, and the private room is no longer available, though I don't know why."

The potions master nodded, and moved towards the suggested bed.  Madam Pomfrey rushing ahead of him to pull back the top covers.  Laying her down gently, he brushed her hair back from her face, then helped the medi-witch place the covers over the young woman.

Making shooing motions at everyone, Pomfrey drew the curtains around the bed, forcibly pushing an anxious Sirius back.

"Mr. Black, regardless of the Headmaster's assurance that you are innocent of any crimes, it does _not_ make you my medical assistant.  Please remove yourself so I can examine my patient."  Madam Pomfrey said briskly to the dark-haired man, snapping the curtains fully shut once he stepped back.

Sirius scowled at the curtain before turning back to the others.  Snape was smirking at him, and he flushed in anger.  As he opened his mouth to make a nasty remark, the Headmaster interrupted him.

"Sirius, could you please assist us in returning the room to order.  We should replace the windows before the room becomes too cold."

Delegating the work, Dumbledore quickly had everyone busy.  

Snape moved to help replace the windowpanes, but was called to assist the medi-witch in her examination before he could begin.  Smirking at a glowering Sirius, he joined Madam Pomfrey on the other side of the curtain, and was quickly embroiled in a discussion of medical potions.

Sirius, working close by, caught a few words from their hushed voices.  'Calming', 'Anti-Depressant', and 'Dreamless Sleep' seemed to be prevalent.  It made him worried.

On the other side of the curtain, the discussion was gloomy.

"I don't know what I should do, Severus.  You saw what happened.  You saw her reactions.  She's going to be a mess when she wakes up."  Poppy still hadn't fully recovered from her shock, and was a little flustered.  "I don't know whether I should ply her with Calming potions, Anti-Depressant charms, Dreamless Sleep potion, or all three!"

"Calming potions and Anti-Depressant charms will only work for so long, Poppy.  It won't solve her problems, it will only delay them.  As for Dreamless Sleep, I would only recommend it if she is unable to sleep at all.  Regular sleep, _with dreams, may actually help the young woman to deal with her situation less painfully.  If you deny her the ability to deal with the pain subconsciously, she will have to face it all with her conscious mind."_

"In other words, let her cry it all out."  Poppy sighed heavily, stroking the young woman's hair softly.

"Exactly."

There was a moment of sad silence.

Shaking himself from his morose thoughts, Snape addressed the medi-witch again.  "Poppy, I would also suggest you keep the visitors to a minimum.  The woman needs to deal with her grief with as few strangers as possible.  I would recommend you limit the visitors to the Headmaster, and, as much as I hate to say this, Remus Lupin."

Poppy looked surprised at his choices.  "Why those two?"

"There is no denying the Headmaster, as you know."  Snape smirked, then continued, "As for Lupin…even if I don't like him personally, I will admit that his presence has a calming effect on most people."

Shaking her head, Poppy gave him a small smile.  "And Sirius Black?"

"Don't let him go near her."  Snape growled.

"Is that an analysis made from personal dislike or professional opinion?"  Madam Pomfrey arched her eyebrows at him.

Snape sneered slightly.  "Though I admit to having a considerable dislike of that mangy mutt, I state it as a professional opinion.  Sirius Black will do anything to get her to smile, and I can guarantee you that she will not be ready to smile for some time.  She will be experiencing enough pain - don't make her suffer more than necessary."

Madam Pomfrey nodded her agreement of his assessment, and quickly changed the subject to a safer one of the young woman's physical condition.

Briefing him on the fact that there was no physical damage to the young woman, she voiced her concerns that the sleeping charm may do more harm than good.  After a short debate, the potions master and the medi-witch agreed that administering the Dreamless Sleep potion, for this night only, would allow the woman to wake up more naturally than the sleeping charm would.  

Madam Pomfrey quickly obtained the potion from her office, and, with the help of the potions master, administered it to her patient before having the sleeping charm removed.

With nothing else to be done, Madam Pomfrey tucked the covers snugly around the young woman, as Snape spoke a warming charm for the area surround her.  The two then exited the curtained area.

Upon seeing their re-emergence, Sirius moved swiftly towards them from his position two beds over, where he had just completed replacing a window.

Before he could even utter a word, Madam Pomfrey pinned him with her gaze.  "Don't even think about disturbing my patient, Mr. Black.  She's sleeping now."

"Can't I just see her?  I promise not to wake her up."  Sirius gave her puppy-dog eyes.

Sighing, the medi-witch waived him towards the curtained area.  "5 minutes Mr. Black.  And no matter how much you want to hold her hand, don't.  She's tucked in for the night, and I don't want her exposed to the cold air any more than necessary."

As the dark-haired man literally skipped over to the closed area, Snape arched an eyebrow at the medi-witch.  "If you give in _that easily, I don't see how my recommendations will do any good."_

"Oh pish-posh.  I can hold him off with no problems."  Pomfrey waived off the potions master's comment.

"Then would you clarify _why_ you let that mongrel near her, even if she happens to be asleep."

"It will give us time to give our suggestions to the Headmaster _without_ Mr. Black talking himself blue in the face, trying to change our minds."

"How positively sneaky of you, Poppy.  But you should realize one thing…"  Snape looked down his nose at her.

"And what would that be, Severus?"

"Though you told him not to uncover her, just to hold her hand, you didn't say anything about not touching what is already exposed."  Snape smirked.

Madam Pomfrey rushed back to the curtained area.  After hissing at the dark-haired man not to touch the young woman _anywhere_, she returned to Snape's side, face flushed.

"Don't even say it, Severus."  Madam Pomfrey warned.

"I wouldn't dream of it, Poppy."  Snape said, mouth twitching slightly.

After conferring briefly with the Headmaster, who agreed with their recommendations, Snape quickly made his exit, while Madam Pomfrey went to drag a reluctant Sirius from the curtained area.

"Ah, Mr. Black.  So good of you to join us again."  Dumbledore smiled tiredly at the dark-haired man.

Turning to the remaining wizards and witches, the Headmaster dismissed them to seek their beds for the remainder of the night, requesting that only Lupin and Black remain.

As he turned his attention to the two men, Dumbledore sighed, stroking his beard, knowing his news would not please at least one of them.

"There is nothing more for us to do here, and the young woman should sleep through the night.  Sirius, if you will follow me, I will show you to your chamber for this evening."

"I would prefer to stay here, Albus, just in case she wakes up in the middle of the night."  Sirius said quickly.

"I'm sorry Sirius, but it has been recommended that the young woman's visitors be limited, at least for now."  Seeing the dark-haired man was about to protest, Dumbledore held up a hand.  "The young woman will be waking up to unfamiliar surrounding already, and should not be forced to face too many unfamiliar people.  I know you wish to stay by her side, Sirius, but I have made my decision.  The only people to have access to the young woman will be myself and Remus, in addition to Professor Snape and Madam Pomfrey, for obvioius medical reasons."

Flushing in anger, Sirius snapped,  "I can guess who made _that decision."_

"It matters not who made the decision, the reasons were valid.  Your actions would be well-meaning, Sirius, but you are too emotional to deal with the young woman.  She will need someone who will not pressure her."  

"But…"

"No, Sirius.  My decision stands."  The Headmaster said firmly.

Sirius's face looked as dark as his name, and he stomped out of the infirmary.  

Remus quietly spoke, "Why me, Albus?"

Dumbledore gave him a small smile, "It was pointed out that your presence is somewhat…calming.  An accurate assessment, if I do say so myself." 

The werewolf seemed surprised.  "I would have to assume that opinion came from Professor Snape, as I don't know Madam Pomfrey very well."

"Severus is an excellent judge of character, Remus.  Whatever his personal dislikes, he would not deny a patient what is necessary for their recovery, and he has judge you as such.  Would it be too much of a bother if I ask you to stay nearby?  I could have Madam Pomfrey prepare a bed for you."

"Of course, Albus."  

"Excellent!"  Dumbledore beamed.

After making his request to the medi-witch, the Headmaster left, meeting up with a disgruntled Sirius just outside the infirmary doors.

As Remus chose the bed next to the young woman, he wondered how angry Sirius would be with him for being the one who was given permission to stay.  Shaking his head at his friend's touchy temper, he removed his robe and shoes before crawling under the covers.

_'I'll probably have to give him an exhaustive accounting of every breath she takes, if I don't want him to stay mad at me.'_

****************************************************************************************************

Not two hours later, the infirmary doors silently opened, then closed.  A soft padding could be heard by those with sensitive hearing, especially one dozing werewolf.

As the soft footsteps drew closer, Remus Lupin called out softly, "Albus will kill you if he finds you here, Sirius."

A soft whimper came from the man who was now in his animagi form.

Remus sighed.  "It's on your own head if anyone finds you here in the morning, just don't make it worse by sleeping on her bed."

Rolling over, the werewolf went back to sleep.

The black dog quietly moved behind the curtained area and curled up on the floor next to the sleeping woman's bed.

****************************************************************************************************

It is well known to those who have spent the night in the infirmary that, at a specific time each day, the rising of the morning sun shines directly in the otherwise semi-dark room.  The many windows allow the dawn to awaken the recovering occupants, tucked warmly in their beds, with its fingers of light sliding insistently over the outside of their eyelids – 'Awaken!  Awaken!  A new day has come!'  

Most of the patients choose to ignore the persistent intrusion of the cheerful daylight, and roll over while pulling the covers over their heads.  Others are not so skillful at ignoring the break of day.

As this new day came in to being, the light slithered in slowly, encroaching further into the room as the sun rose inch by inch.  Situated deep into the room, a small figure lay peacefully, the sunlight just beginning to touch the foot of the bed.  The minutes ticked by, and the sun continued to ascend in the sky, until it cast its full light upon the face of a young woman.

Blue-green eyes popped open.

A/N:  MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!  I Told you she would probably _awaken_ in this chapter, but I didn't say she would become _active_.  LOL  Don't kill me!!  Now that my speech class is almost over, I hope to get chapters out faster.  Not really fast, though – I spend a lot of time revising before posting.

I'm not entirely pleased with this chapter.  It feels too much like a "filler", though the spell portion had to be done.  I wish I could have moved on directly to the "waking up", but I felt this chapter needed to happen before I could get on with it.  I hope to get things in motion in the next chapter, but fear that I may disappoint some of you with where I am taking this story.  It's not going to be a short story, and definitely not a "they meet, they kiss, they get married, the end" story that happens in less than 30,000 words.  So, please be patient.  There will be lots of things happening in this story, which is why it will take a lot of chapters to finish it.

And Rob, Grrr…stop getting ahead of my story, or I'll permanently weld a ball and chain to your legs.  :)  I've already had that one figured out for some time, I just haven't gotten there yet.  Sheilynn is chanting "I know something you don't know", while frolicking about, tossing flower petals in the air  (Yes, that is a scary image…very scary)


	5. Trust In Me

Note to Reader's, The Full Title is:

When It's Time to Change, You've Got to Re-Arrange, Who You Are and What You're Gonna Be  

(The title also end's with a lot of Sha na na's, and if you understand this, you've must be as old as I am.  LOL)

A/N:  I profusely apologize for the extensive delay on getting this chapter out.  I honestly didn't mean to take this long, but as I explained to goggler (and thanks again for the nudge), it's really difficult to type when your hands are permanently curled in the shape of a paintbrush handle.  Yes, I stupidly offered to paint my parents' house for them – word to the wise, never offer to paint a house that hasn't been painted in over 20 years…you end up spending HOURS on the prep (washing, scraping and priming), and only a short time on the actual painting.  And let's not even go into the leg/arm/back-aches.  Needless to say, my verbal commentary is punctuated by many 'ows'.  Anyway, this endless babbling is to generally say to all of you, Thank You for your patience.

**Trust In Me**

_"I believe everybody in the world should have guns. Citizens should have bazookas and rocket launchers too. I believe that all citizens should have their weapons of choice. However, I also believe that only I should have the ammunition. Because frankly, I wouldn't trust the rest of the goobers with anything more dangerous than string."  _

_~**Scott Adams**~_

_'Bright.'_

_._

_._

_._

_'Pain.'___

_._

_._

_._

_'Hurts.__  Cover eyes.'_

_*whimper*_

**SHHHHHHHHKKKKKKK!!**

**"AREYOUALRIGHT?!!!!"******

_'Loud.'_

_._

_._

_._

_'Hurts.__  Cover ears.'_

_*whimper*_

_'Stench.'___

_._

_._

_._

_'Wild Beast.'___

_._

_._

_._

_ 'Danger!  Get Away!'_

_._

_._

_._

_'Coming Closer.'___

_._

_._

_._

_'Get Away!  Get Away!'_

**"IT'SOKWEWON'THURTYOU!!!"******

_*whimper*_

_'Get Away!!!'_

**"OOOF!"******

**_"PETRIFICUSTOTALUS!"_****__**

_'Duck!__  Run!  Door!'_

**"STOP!"******

_'Won't open.'___

_._

_._

_._

_'Hurts to touch.'___

_._

_._

_._

_'Stench…Coming closer.'___

_._

_._

_._

**"SHHH…CALMDOWN!!SHHH…SHHH"**

**"NODON'TSIRIUS!!"**

_GetAwayGetAwayGetAway__!'___

_BOOM_

_'Stench gone.__  Door gone.  Run!  Run!'_

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_"This way…follow…follow."_

_'Soft.'_

_"We will help you.  We will protect you."_

_'No pain.'_

_"Follow…follow.  We will hide you._

_'Dark.'___

_._

_._

_._

_'Quiet.'_

_._

_._

_._

_'Follow.'_

As a small figure turned into a corridor, the archway reconfigured itself, closing it off to whoever may have chosen to follow.  The small figure, a young woman, continued to follow the soft musical voices deep into the bowels of the castle – not knowing who they were, unable to see them, but knowing they would protect her, take care of her, help the pain go away.  It was their turn.

****************************************************************************************************

*whimper*

Sirius popped his canine head up at the sound.  Drawing his animagus form up, he looked at the young woman lying on the bed.  She was awake!  Quickly padding out of the curtained area to the bed next to it, he nudged his friend's hand.

Starting awake, Remus looked at his canine friend, who used his head to motion towards the curtained area.  Nodding his head in understanding, the werewolf waved his friend to hide while he went to get the medi-witch.

Popping his head into Madam Pomfrey's office, he caught her attention and whispered, "She's awake."

Pomfrey jumped up from her seat and walked quickly around her desk.  Exiting her office, she swiftly made her way to the curtain surrounding her patient's bed, and pulled it back with a sharp motion, the metal rings dragging across the steel frame.

The young woman was standing pressed against the wall next to the head of the bed, face scrunched in pain, with an arm covering her eyes.

The medi-witch hesitated.  After the events of the previous evening, Pomfrey was unsure how welcome their presence was to the young woman, and her uncertainty showed in her face.  Remus placed a calming hand on her shoulder.

"Are you alright?"  Remus whispered softly to the young woman, trying not to frighten her.

The young woman whimpered, clapping her hands over her ears.

Edging around the medi-witch, the werewolf shuffled slowly forward, hand outstretched in an attempt to show the young woman that he meant no harm.  She couldn't see it, though, as her eyes were squeezed tightly shut.

Remus gasped as he felt something roll over him, touching the beast deep within…and giving it a warning.  Wrestling to calm his beast, he stepped forward again, drawing nearer to the young woman.

"It's OK, we won't hurt you."  He softly whispered.

The werewolf reached out, almost touching her, but something forcefully shoved him away.

"Ooof!"  Remus fell back against the medi-witch, causing both of them to fall to the floor.

Sirius edged out from the foot of the bed he was hiding under.  Quickly transforming back to his human visage, he drew his wand, yelling out, "Petrificus Totalus!"

The young woman moved too quickly for words, ducking out of the way of the spell, which crashed into the wall where she had previously stood.  Hurdling over the beds, she rushed to the door.

"Stop!"  Sirius called out, rushing towards where the young woman was futilely grappling with the doorknob, whimpering.

Slowing as he neared her, Sirius made his own attempts at calming the now panic-stricken woman.

"Shhhh…calm down."  The animagi reached out to the young woman, making shushing noises.

Remus, who had just drawn himself up from the floor, saw the woman become more terrified the closer his friend came to her.  He could feel a pressure building around the woman, an indication that she was about to magically explode any second.  She didn't need a wand to create a magical barrier.  Her fear was so great, it was drawing the energy from pure adrenaline.

"No don't, Sirius!"

But it was too late, the young woman's barrier exploded outward, centering on what she perceived as the nearest danger…Sirius.  The dark-haired man was thrown across the room, crashing into the opposite wall a good 30 feet from where the woman stood, knocking him unconscious.  The backlash from the explosion blasted the infirmary door from its hinges to crash noisily into the wall of the hallway, splintering it into small pieces.

The woman ran out, leaving a destroyed door, an unconscious man, and two rattled adults in her wake.

Remus, picking himself up from the floor again, helped the medi-witch to stand.

"Take care of Sirius.  I'll go after her."  The werewolf instructed, before moving toward the destroyed door.  Popping his head carefully out, he was just in time to see the young woman disappear around a corner.

Moving swiftly to where he last saw her, Remus was startled to find himself staring at a blank wall.  Carefully opening up his werewolf senses, he sniffed.  _'Yes.  This is where she went.  But, how…'_

Remus meticulously explored the wall, but could find no way through.  Defeated, he returned to the infirmary just as the Headmaster and Professor Snape arrived, followed by Ron, Harry and Hermione.

With a serious look on his face, the Headmaster observed the chaos that was the remains of the infirmary door, before turning to look at the frazzled werewolf.

"What happened, Remus?"

"_She_ happened, Albus."  Remus responded, running a hand through his hair.

Quickly summarizing what had just taken place, the werewolf paced, clearly agitated.

"She touched my beast, Albus.  Somehow she knew what I was, and gave me a warning."  Remus's hands were shaking as he drew his tattered robe around him, a small look of fear in his eyes.  "I-I've never felt anything like it.  It was like pure violence, restrained, and the only thing holding it back was her willpower.  Merlin, it was so strong!"

"The violence or the willpower?"  The Headmaster asked, a worried look in his eyes.

"Both."

Dumbledore and Professor Snape exchanged concerned looks.

"Then she just disappeared!  Her scent ends just down the hallway, but the corridor is gone!"

"Show me."  Dumbledore asked softly.

Taking the group back to where the werewolf had followed the young woman, Remus pointed to the blank wall.

"There has _never_ been a corridor here, Lupin!"  Snape said sharply.  "I should know.  I've traversed these hallways for years."

"But it was there!  I swear!"  Remus snapped.

 "Perhaps.  But it is gone now."  Dumbledore looked thoughtful, turning his gaze to the brown-haired man.  "If this is where she disappeared, then there was an opening for her and her alone.  Do not fret Remus.  We shall find her, even if we have to wait for when she chooses to be found."

Still trying to calm himself, the werewolf gave the Headmaster a thankful look.  "If you don't need me, I'm going to see how Sirius is doing."

Dumbledore waived his hand in dismissal, "Of course, Remus.  You should also have Poppy give you a calming potion, as you seem to be quite distressed."

The werewolf nodded, then swiftly walked back to the infirmary and entered.

Giving the wall a contemplative glance, Dumbledore gestured the remaining professor and three silent students to follow him back to the entrance to the medical wing.

Taking one last thoughtful look at the broken door, the Headmaster pulled his wand.  Calling out a simple _reparo_, the door was fixed and hung back on its hinges.

"More questions, Albus?"  Snape arched his eyebrow at the Headmaster.

"I'm beginning to believe that everything about the young woman is a question, Severus."  Dumbledore gave him a small smile, eyes twinkling.

Turning his smile to the three students who stood silently a distance away, the Headmaster gestured to them.  They hesitantly came forward, eyes still widened in shock over the previous condition of the infirmary door.

"I believe you wished to visit with our guests, before heading to Hogsmeade?"

Upon receiving nods of confirmation, the Headmaster said, "Very well, but I would ask that you meet with me after supper.  And Harry, could you please bring a certain parchment with you?"

Harry's eyes shifted nervously to the potions master before reluctantly nodding.  The three teens then silently entered the infirmary, shutting the door softly behind them.

"Do you always have them too scared to speak in your presence, Severus."  Dumbledore teased, eyes twinkling.

"Only if I'm lucky."  The potions master smirked.

****************************************************************************************************

Harry, Ron and Hermione only stayed for a short while in the infirmary.  They couldn't put up with the piteous moaning of Sirius for very long, and left as soon as Madam Pomfrey, irritated with the animagi's complaining, force-fed him a bottle of Dreamless Sleep…if only to shut him up.

Remus gave them an apologetic look, as he picked up a dog-eared book and settled into a chair next to his sleeping friend.

A trip to Hogsmeade was always fun, and this one was no different.  Though the trio was worried about the young woman, there was really nothing they could do to help.  So, pushing those thoughts to the back of their minds, they spent the day as they should – stocking up on candy, magazines and books, making sure they had enough joke stuff from Zonko's to get them through until the next visit, and finishing up with Butterbeers at The Three Broomsticks before heading back to Hogwarts.

After catching the tail end of dinner, Harry rushed up to the Gryffindor Tower to get the Marauder's Map, before rejoining his friends.  The three then made their way to the Headmaster's office for their meeting.

"Ah…Harry, Mr. Weasley, Ms. Granger.  So good of you to join us.  Did you have a good time in Hogsmeade?"  Dumbledore offered them lemon drops, which they refused politely, before taking their seats in front of the Headmaster's desk.

"Of course, sir.  Hogsmeade is always fun."  Ron said enthusiastically.

"And did Zonko's have anything new to…entertain your teachers with?"  The Headmaster asked, blue eyes twinkling madly.

The three teenagers looked at each other and snickered.

"You could say that the next few days will be very…colorful."  Harry grinned.

"And furry.  Don't forget furry."  Ron laughed.

"Or the variety of obnoxious sounds that will be music to no one's ears."  Hermione chipped in.

"Ms. Granger, I'm shocked!  I thought you were the epitome of the perfect student."  Dumbledore teased.

Hermione blushed, but grinned.  "That doesn't mean I can't have fun too, sir."

The Headmaster chuckled.  "I see that these two have been teaching you that school is not just about learning, but about experiencing also."

"I think she learned that when she hexed my socks two years ago, sir.  Every time I took a step, they sang some muggle song called 'I'm too sexy'.  But she kinda changed the words to choose embarrassing items of clothing.  I still get teased for being too sexy for my jock strap."  Ron shook his head, a rueful smile on his lips.

Harry snorted, choking back a laugh at the memory.  Hermione just grinned wider.

Dumbledore laughed, eyes twinkling madly.  The three teens broke, and joined in the merriment.

It was just as their chuckles were tapering off that someone knocked on the Headmaster's door, then opened it without waiting for a response.  Professor Snape entered, immediately followed by Remus Lupin, and Sirius Black, who was in his animagus form.  All three looked tired.

"Ah, gentlemen.  Please, join us."  The Headmaster waived them to empty chairs.

The three gladly sat, Sirius transforming back to his human form, in order to do so.

"Did you find any trace of the young lady?"  Dumbledore asked.

"I'm afraid not, Albus."  Remus responded softly.  "While we were able to find remnants of her scent, we were unable to follow it, as it either led in circles, or to dead ends."

"I, also, was unable to find anything.  Every time I used a spell or charm, something went wrong, or it led to blank walls."  Snape scowled irritably.

"Curious.  I too was unable to use my resources to find her, including my connection to the castle.  It is as if someone or something is protecting her, even though she has nothing to fear from us."

"But she doesn't know that, sir."  Harry hesitantly offered.

"True.  Which is why I asked you to bring your parchment.  If all else failed, I was hoping it would help us to locate her."  Dumbledore smiled at the young teen.

"I don't think the map will help, Albus."  Remus said, an uncomfortable look on his face.

"Remus!  We all vowed that we would never tell!"  Sirius exclaimed.

The werewolf looked at his friend in sadness.  "Our group is broken and disbanded, Sirius.  The vows we took as children no longer hold us together, and haven't for a long time, old friend."  

Sirius nodded glumly and hung his head, hiding his pain from the others.

"Why will it not help, Remus."  Dumbledore asked softly.

"Back in our 4th year, James came across a spell in a book from the Restricted Section.  It's the same one that each Headmaster uses to connect themselves to the castle's essence.  The spell, as you know, allows the caster to see almost everything that goes on in the castle.  We modified it to create the Marauder's Map.  James and I felt that we should respect the privacy of others, so we changed it to just allow us to see the location of others, not what they were actually doing.  That was all we needed anyway, though a certain someone argued differently."  Remus gave his friend a small smile of amusement.

Sirius grinned at him.  "Hey, I was just your ordinary horny teenager.  We had the perfect chance to view any of the girl's showers, can you blame me if I wanted to jump on it?"

The three teenagers blushed beet red at the canine's words.  Snape just rolled his eyes.

Dumbledore chuckled.  "I'm afraid your hopes would have been in vain, Sirius.  The essence of the castle contains an understanding of human privacy, and would not have allowed what you wished."

Remus and Sirius exchanged looks, and both said, "Dammit."

"Think of what else we could have done, if we had performed the full spell!"  Remus said.

"We could have spooked the hell out of the Slytherins, knowing everything about them."  Sirius bemoaned.

Dumbledore chuckled at their antics.  And, remembering some of their more impressive tricks, made a mental note to have the spell moved deeper into the Restricted Section.  It wouldn't be smart to have it _too_ readily available to students, or all hell could break loose some day.

"As I was unable to locate the young woman from my connection to the castle, I would assume that, since it was created from the basis of the same spell, the map will not work either.  Am I correct in thinking that this is your reasoning, Remus?"  The Headmaster asked.

"Yes, Albus."

"We should still try.  The modifications you made may have changed the spell enough to allow us to pinpoint her location in the castle."  Dumbledore said.  "Harry, if you would."

Harry unrolled the parchment, but hesitated, glancing nervously at the potions master who sat forward in anticipation.  He gave the Headmaster a pleading look.

The Headmaster smiled at him, eyes twinkling.  "Ah, yes.  Secrets must be kept, mustn't they, Harry?  Why don't you step out into the hallway to activate the map."

"Albus!  I've waited nearly twenty years to find out how that damn map works!  Don't deny me this."  Snape snarled.  

"Severus, you already have an advantage over the students, with your uncanny ability to find them after hours.  This map would make that advantage even more unfair, should you also have the key to activate it.  No, my dear boy, I'm afraid you will have to live without that knowledge for a while longer."  Dumbledore responded, eyes twinkling madly.  "And, you are also not allowed to confiscate it for longer than 48 hours."

Snape huffed, crossing his arms across his chest.  Remus and Sirius smirked.

Harry rushed out to the hall, activated the map, and quickly returned to the office, laying the parchment on the Headmaster's desk.

"Severus, if you would help?  You know just as many, if not more, of the children's names than I do."

The potions master grudgingly stood and moved closer to the desk, leaning over the Headmaster's shoulder to view the multi-colored dots roving across the parchment.  Between the two of them, they were able to quickly account for most of the Hogwarts students by narrowing their search to each House's common and dorm rooms, and the library.  The other professors were either in the teacher's lounge, or their private quarters.

Just as they were beginning to search the classrooms, hallways and lesser used portions of the castle, Professor McGonagall burst into the office.

"Albus!  Someone stole the silk curtains from the staff lounge!  And other things have gone missing from each common room – pillows, cushions, scarves!  I don't have the whole list, as the students are just noticing now.  The perpetrators must have taken them while most of the students were in Hogsmeade."  McGonagall drew an agitated breath, her hat askew from her rush to the Headmaster's office.  "Oh, hello Mr. Potter, Ms. Granger, Mr. Weasley, Severus."

Dumbledore looked intrigued.  "Interesting."

"How so, Albus?"

"Considering that all houses were affected, I would assume it is our mysterious guest that has commandeered these items.  I just wonder how she was able to get into the common rooms without a password."

"More questions!"  Ron, Harry, and Hermione intoned together, then snickered.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he chuckled.  "So there are, but we should resume our task of seeing if this map will be of any help.  The only students we have not accounted for are four of your Slytherins, Severus, and two students from Hufflepuff, brother and sister if I recall."

"If you are speaking of Mr. and Ms. Barsters, they are currently at their home, attending a family funeral."  Professor McGonagall offered.

"Thank you for reminding me, Minerva.  Severus, how about the students from your house?"

"I believe the four you speak of will be in the Astronomy tower, serving a detention with Professor Sinistra."  Snape responded, face expressionless.

"Ah, yes…there they are!  Thank you, Severus.  Now that we have accounted for the children, the rest of the map should be relatively easier to view."

So saying, Dumbledore began to swiftly maneuver the map coordinates, looking for any stray, different colored dots that could account for the young woman's location.  Unfortunately, the only stray dot was Argus Filch, making his rounds in a remote portion of the castle.  Rolling up the map in defeat, the Headmaster handed it back to Harry.

"Well, there was no harm in trying.  I do not believe that she has left the castle, but cannot understand why I am unable to find her.  The young woman must have done something to hide her presence from the castle itself, but I am unaware of any spell that is able to counteract the anti-concealment charms which are part of the castle's defenses."

"Maybe the castle is protecting her."  Ron voiced off-handedly from a table full of interesting objects, where he had moved due to boredom.

Silence met his comment, and stretched out to a point where Ron looked up in concern.  Seven sets of eyes were locked on him with varying levels of surprise.

Ron flushed, dropping his eyes.  "Or maybe not."

"No, no, Mr. Weasley.  You have made an excellent observation – one that is fairly obvious, if you take into account the methods we have used in our attempts to find the young woman.  Both the map and my connection rely on the essence of the castle, and the spells Professor Snape used can be countered by the castle's defenses.  Also, the more mundane attempts by Remus and Sirius are easily confounded when the castle itself is able to reconfigure its corridors and rooms."

"At least that would answer the question of why the corridor disappeared after the young woman ran away, and how she could enter the common rooms without a password."  Remus mused.

"What about Professor Moody?"  Harry asked.  "I know that we were told not to say anything to anyone else, but you had to tell some of the other Professors, so you could do the spell.  Would he be able to help?"

"While the other professors were called on to help with the spell, they were told nothing about our guest, Harry.  Professor Moody would not be as trusting, and would require more detail, before offering his assistance.  Details I should not provide, according to the entities you encountered."  Dumbledore explained.  "As for Professor Moody's…accessories…I'm afraid they would have the same problems as Professor Snape had, as almost all of them are magic based.  In any case, he has been called away for a few days, and is unavailable at the moment."

"So, what now?  And what do I tell the children about their missing items?"  Professor McGonagall queried.

"I think this would be a good opportunity for the children to practice their transfiguration skills.  Wouldn't you think so, Minerva?"  The Headmaster's eyes were twinkling in amusement.

 "Considering the number of cushions missing, I think they will be practicing very hard.  The Deputy Headmistress chuckled.  "And the girl, Abus?  What will we do now?"

"We wait.  That is all we can do."  Dumbledore responded, sighing heavily.

Sirius scowled.   "I hate waiting."  

****************************************************************************************************

Deep in the dungeons, there was much soft scurrying in a certain large semi-dark room.  Scents of various herbs floated in the air, and around the many desks scattered across the area.

Eyes closed, a slender blonde woman stood shivering next to one of these desks, nude, after having removed the painfully scratchy clothing that had once clad her body.  

Unconcerned with her state of undress, she waited patiently for the soft-spoken creatures that had led her to the dark room.  Her patience was rewarded as she heard one of the creatures step up onto the desk, and through gentle touches, indicated for the woman to lift her arms.  A soft whisper of fabric was heard, as a length of soft cloth was loosely wrapped around her body a couple of times, then knotted on one shoulder.

Light touches whispered like wind across the skin of the woman's hands, softly directing her to another area of the room.  As the woman gingerly stepped forward, she was slowly guided to a large arrangement of cushions and pillows.

"Sit."

The word whispered across her mind, and she carefully arranged herself among the soft objects.  A word came unbidden to her mind, _'silk'_, before sighing away again.  She delicately knelt among the cushions, making herself as comfortable as possible, leaning against a mound of pillows, with her legs folded to the side.  Her hands were in her lap, an uncomfortable pressure against her thighs.

Many of the creatures stepped softly around the young woman, being careful not to jostle her or touch her with too much pressure.  Each of them took up a position, and began to perform their tasks.  Two wrapped more of the soft fabric around each of her hands, twining them about each individual finger, one used soft whispering magic to untangle her hair, and, after gentle assurances, two place some substance in her ears and nostrils, effectively reducing the overwhelming sounds and smells around her.

Once completed, a pillow was placed in her lap, and her hands laid upon it, alleviating the pressure against her legs.  With a calming whisper, a folded cloth was loosely tied around her head, covering the woman's eyes, and another length of fabric draped across her shoulders.

A few candles were lit around the room, their normally bright lights softened by a quietly spoken spell.

Finished, the creatures settled around her in a protective circle, sending gentle waves of affection to the woman.

The young woman sat there, her thoughts jumbled, unable to grasp the words she sought.  Her confusion was palpable to the small creatures surrounding her, and they began to teach her – mind to mind, heart to heart.

Pictures of a castle flashed in her mind, followed by corridors, rooms, tapestries…

"Hogwarts."

Then people…

"Master Dumbledore, Mistress McGonagall, Master Snape, Harry Potter…"

And so it went.  Not a sound was made, but much was learned by the young woman.  

But she was only able to return the favor with one piece of information…her name.

****************************************************************************************************

Sunday morning dawned bright and beautiful, though there was still a chill in the winter air.  Several of Hogwarts' students rose early to take advantage of the new snow that had fallen during the night, and yells of laughter could be heard outside the castle.

The Gryffindor Trio were not part of these festivities.  Having stayed up to the wee hours of the morning, they had come up with their own plan to search for the woman, based on information Remus had unknowingly provided.  None of the three stirred from their beds until mid-morning.

Since they missed breakfast, the three friends snuck down to the kitchens, to see if they could wheedle some brunch from the helpful house-elves.  Even Hermione joined the two boys, having given up her S.P.E.W. efforts for the moment – it was hard to persuade so-called "oppressed creatures" to rebel, when they actually love what they're doing and don't believe they're oppressed.  

Tickling the pear in a painting, which opened the door to the kitchens, the three teenagers entered the archway.

As usual, there were many house-elves scurrying about, though there was an odd mixture of excitement and panic peppering the air.

Catching the attention of the nearest elf, Harry asked if Dobby was around.

"Dobby is not here, sir.  Dobby is busy on very important errand.  Is Harry Potter needing something, sir?  Tizzy would be happy help Harry Potter, sir."

"Uh, sure.  Me and my friends missed breakfast, and we were wondering if…"

"Food!  Harry Potter wants food!  Tizzy would be happy to help Harry Potter, sir!  It would be a _great honor, sir!"  The small elf beamed at the young teen, ecstatic that he could be of help to __THE Harry Potter._

"Er…yes, that would be great.  Thank you."  Harry responded, his cheeks a little pink.

Ron and Hermione snickered at their friend, as the three sat at the table in the middle of the kitchen.  Plates piled with food were placed before them, and they all dug in.

It was as they were finishing their meal that Dobby popped back into the kitchen, looking tired.  Several of the other house-elves quickly surrounded him, and began to chatter in another language – a few of them casting nervous looks at the three teenagers.  Dobby responded in the same language, expressively waving his arms, but sounding a little defeated.

After the other elves ended their lengthy chattering at Dobby, and he finished responding, Dobby said, "Why are you not talking in Wizard-speak?"

A few of the elves pointed to the table where Ron, Harry, and Hermione sat.  Seeing the three teenagers, a happy smile appeared on Dobby's face, and he bounded over to where they were sitting.

"Harry Potter!  Harry Potter's Wheezy!  And Harry Potter's Hermoninny!  Harry Potter come to see Dobby, sir?"  Dobby exclaimed happily, but then his expression changed to one of dismay.  "And Dobby was not here to help you.  Dobby is bad.  Dobby must punish himself!"

As Dobby drew back his head to bash it on the table, Harry quickly caught him by the shoulders.

"Stop, Dobby!  It's OK.  We know you have a lot of other things to do, and Tizzy was able to help.  You're not a bad elf.  You can't always be here.  I'm sure you had something more important that you had to do, right?"  Harry tried to soothe the distressed elf.

"Harry Potter is too kind.  Dobby _did_ have something important to do.  But Dobby should always be here for Harry Potter, sir.  Harry Potter freed Dobby, and Dobby must repay Harry Potter's kindness."

"Er…about that, Dobby.  I think you repaid any debt you owed me, when you saved me from your previous master's attempt at hexing me.  How about we call it even, and just be friends.  OK?"

"Harry Potter wants to be Dobby's _friend?!  Dobby has never had a wizard friend before!  Yes!  Yes!  Dobby is Harry Potter's friend, and Harry Potter is Dobby's friend!"_

With that, Dobby burst into tears and clutched the young teen in an exuberant hug.  Harry awkwardly patted his small friend on the shoulder, blushing to match Ron's hair.

Gently disentangling himself from the small elf, Harry awkwardly said, "Uh, we have to go now, Dobby.  I'll see you soon, though, OK?"

"Yes. Yes.  Dobby will see Harry Potter soon."

Dobby bounced off to join the other house-elves in preparing for the noon meal.

Harry turned to his red-headed friend, and said, "Don't say it, Ron…not one word."

"Of course I won't say anything…Harry Potter, sir."

Ron and Hermione laughed as Harry groaned and dropped his head into his hands.

Patting his shoulder in amused sympathy, Hermione stood.

"Well, we best be off before everyone comes back inside the castle.  Harry, can I see the map again?"

Harry pulled the parchment from his robes, and handed it to Hermione.

Reviewing the map once more, Hermione murmured, "So, are we still in agreement that we should check the most remote sections first, then make our way towards the more commonly used corridors?"

"I still think she would try to find something closer to the kitchens, Hermione."  Ron said, reiterating his argument from the previous evening.

"I'll say it again, Ron.  She doesn't know the castle, so it's unlikely that she would know where the kitchen is."  Hermione said, exasperated.  "From what Professor Lupin said about the lights and sounds bothering her, she would be more concerned with finding somewhere that was dark and quiet – and the kitchens are far from being quiet, what with all the house-elves chattering and banging pots together."

"I have to agree with Hermione, Ron.  She's always right anyway."  Harry said, smiling at his friend, to take the sting out of siding with someone else.

"Oh, all right!  Blimey!  Let's just get moving already!" 

As the three teenagers moved to exit the kitchens, they were stopped by Dobby's voice calling out to them.

"Good luck, Harry Potter.  Harry Potter should have Dobby called when Dobby is needed today."

"Uh, OK Dobby."  Harry answered, confused by the small elf's statement.

It wouldn't be until later that he wondered why the small elf used the word 'when' instead of 'if'.

****************************************************************************************************

"We need to check _all_ the rooms, Ron."  Hermione bit out, aggravated by the red-head's complaining.

"No one's been down these halls in _ages, 'Mione!  Look at all the dust!" _

So saying, Ron stomped his foot, sending a cloud of dust swirling around them, making the three teenagers choke.

"Stop it, Ron, you're going to kill us!"  Harry coughed out, holding his sleeve over his nose and mouth.

"But *cough* no one *cough* has gone through here in a long time, *sneeze* *sneeze* or we would have seen footprints."  

"You may be right, but if the castle is protecting her, it may have given her a back door into one of the rooms.  That's why we have to check them all."  Hermione responded in her usual logic, her voice muffled by the handkerchief covering her face.

"Oh.  I never thought about that."

Harry and Hermione rolled their eyes, but didn't say anything.  The three continued with their search.

After a several hours, which included both a lunch and dinner break, they were beginning to wonder if their theories were incorrect.  They hadn't found anything in the less traversed corridors (except the entrance to Professor Snape's private quarters, whose portrait swore at them in five languages, and oddly reminded Harry of the Black Knight, especially when it threatened to bite their kneecaps off), and were beginning to think about calling it quits before they accidentally ended up in the Slytherin's area of the dungeons.

"Uh, guys."

Ron and Hermione were bickering over where they should search next.

"Hello…Ron, Hermione?"

No response, only more bickering.

"HEY!"

"What!" Ron and Hermione turned their glares onto Harry, who took a step back, startled.

"Isn't the door to the potions classroom supposed to be there?"  Harry said, pointing at a blank wall.

The two blinked, then looked.

After looking around to get her bearings, Hermione nodded her head excitedly.

"This must be it!  She has to be in there!"  Hermione jumped up and down, ecstatic. 

The three approached the wall, checking to see if there was some way to get in.

"I think we should get the Headmaster," Harry said, a serious look on his face.  "I don't think we should try to get in without him here.  Remember what she did to Sirius?"

Ron and Hermione paused in their search.  With cautious looks on their face, they stepped back from the wall.

"You're right, Harry.  I didn't think about that."  Hermione replied a little nervously.

It was decided that Ron should be the one to go retrieve the Headmaster while the other two stayed, just in case anything changed.

While they waited, Harry and Hermione continued to cautiously search for a way in, being careful not to touch anything.

****************************************************************************************************

Time had too much meaning to someone who couldn't see, hear, smell, touch, or feel.  The darkness drowned out any sense of the passage of time.  Five minutes seemed like hours, and hours seemed like days.  

And so the young woman sat in darkness, confused – thinking of nothing and everything.  The small creatures…house-elves…gave her the words for where she was now, but not where she came from.  They gave her the names of many people who were also here, but would tell her nothing of herself.  They said she would remember, in time.

The words themselves were a problem.  It was as if she was learning another language that was both familiar, yet just beyond her grasp.  She could hear the house-elves whispering in this language, but she couldn't understand them very well.  The only way she could truly hear them was when they spoke in her mind.  Their words, in her mind, were primitive, but somewhat understandable.

She had flashes of memories that had nothing to do with where she was now, but they carried no specific meaning.  And the only thing she knew for sure was her name…Buffy.  Yet, it too, seemed wrong somehow.  As if that was who she was before, not who she was now, but will be, again, in the future.

Buffy…the name rolled across her mind, carrying a hint of warning…but a warning for what?  Buffy…no, it isn't right.  Yes, that was her name, but one that she couldn't use… at least, for now.  Buffy…no, no…_Elizabeth_…yes.  Elizabeth…Buffy was a name taken from Elizabeth, so Elizabeth she would be, for now.  She would be Buffy later, when it was safe.

Safe.  She wasn't safe.  The house-elves would protect her as best they could, but she still wasn't safe.  She used to be strong, but now she was weak.  She wouldn't be safe until she was strong again.  And she couldn't stay where she was.  

She could smell the fresh scent of humans, even with the substance in her nose defusing her sense of smell.  They would return at some point, and she must not be here when they did.  Not only was she was too vulnerable, but she wouldn't be able to communicate with them, if her inability to understand the house-elves' verbal chatter was any indication.

And while the house-elves were powerful in their own way, the humans far out-numbered them.  Deep-down, somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that needed a human to protect her from humans. _'You have to fight fire with fire.'_

Mentally, using pictures, Elizabeth conveyed her worries to the small creatures.  While the house-elves insisted that they would be able to protect her, they reluctantly admitted that, while they could help with her physical needs and healing, they were at a loss as to how they could help her understand and speak the Wizard language.  It was well known, even by the house-elves, that their speaking skills of the Wizard language were generally disjointed and lacking.

Elizabeth sat deep in thought for a moment, then asked the house-elves to release her into the care of one of the humans that inhabited the castle.

The house-elves protested.  They would find a way.  They could take care of her.

Elizabeth conceded that the house-elves were capable of helping her and protecting her in some ways, but was adamant about needing a human to help with those they couldn't.

The house-elves continued to protest, at which the castle awoke from its normally semi-conscious state, and sharply admonished the house-elves for arguing with their Mistress.  

The castle, knowing its inhabitants well, offered its suggestion as to the best candidate.

When Elizabeth approved of the castle's choice, the house-elves reluctantly agreed.

****************************************************************************************************

Professor Snape stalked down the corridor to his classroom, in a foul mood.  

Dumbledore had interrupted his afternoon tea to inform the potions master that Harry Potter and his friends found themselves unable to enter the potions room, and requested his presence there immediately.

_'What the hell are Potter and his lackeys doing in the dungeons?  And why were they trying to get into my classroom?  If there are any signs that they are mischief-making, I'll hex them into oblivion.'_  

Upon nearing the area where the potions classroom was supposed to be, Snape was displeased to see that the Golden Trio were still there, along with the Headmaster.  He was hoping they would be dismissed once a teacher was notified.  His scowl deepened. 

At least they didn't look to be causing trouble, but appearances could be deceiving.  The Potter brat had the map in his hands, and that was trouble enough.

"Well?"  Snape snarled.

The three students raised their shaking hands, and pointed the area where the door to the potions room was supposed to be…it was now a blank wall.

Snape arched his eyebrow at the Headmaster.  

"It wasn't my doing, Severus.  And the castle is being _very uncommunicative, with regards to this room.  I would have to assume that the young woman is located within your potions room, and that Mr. Weasley surmised correctly in saying that the castle is protecting her."  _

Ron flushed at the subtle compliment.  His two friends beamed at him, pleased that, for once, the redhead was the one garnering the attention for doing something right.

"Have you tried forcing the issue?"  Snape asked.

"There is no forcing the castle against its wishes, Severus, though this is the first time I've heard of the castle going against the wishes of a Headmaster."  Dumbledore responded, as much at a loss as the potions master.

The dark-haired man sighed in frustration.  "Very well.  If you are unable to get the castle to respond, the only other option available is to create our own opening."

"Dark Magic, Severus?  You know I can't allow that, even for this."  Dumbledore said, troubled.

"No, not Dark Magic, Albus, just…_insistent."  Snape smirked.  "I'd stand back a ways, as I don't know how the castle will respond."_

The three teenagers and the Headmaster backed away several paces down the corridor, and pressed themselves up against the wall.

As the others moved away, Snape removed his wand from the folds of his robe, and raised it to point at the wall.  Just as he opened his mouth to chant a spell, the stones of the wall twisted themselves about, revealing the original door.  Snape dropped his arm in surprise, mouth snapping shut.

Turning his head to the group standing several feet away, he gave the Headmaster a confused look.

"The door is…back."

The Headmaster detached himself from the group, and made to move where the potions master stood.

Snape turned his attention back to the door, and noticed that, as the Headmaster came closer, the stones began to shift back over the door.  He raised his hand to stop the Headmaster's approach.

"It's disappearing again, Albus.  With every step you take closer, the stones are covering the door again."

The Headmaster began to move back to where the three students stood waiting.

"I'm going to individually send the children towards you, Severus.  Let us see if I am the only person the castle will not allow into the room."

With that, the Headmaster indicated Ron to step forward.  Each of the students were given their turn, but with the same results…the door disappearing behind stones.

"It would seem that _you_ are the only one the castle will allow to enter, Severus.  As I don't know what is waiting behind the door, I will leave it up to you to decide if you wish to enter the room."  Dumbledore gave the dark-haired man a concerned look.

Snape sighed in resignation.  "There are too many questions that need to be answered, Albus, but I'm being distinctly reminded of the muggle saying 'curiosity killed the cat'."

"But satisfaction brought it back."  Harry quipped, then paled as the potions master gave him a glare.

"I'm going to hold you to that, Mr. Potter.  If I don't survive, I'll blame you, then haunt you until you die."

Harry paled even more.  Dumbledore chuckled.

"Albus, I don't know that you'll be able to hear me once I enter, but there is a fireplace in both this room, and the one next door.  It's possible that the castle may allow us this means of communication.  I will attempt to contact you once I enter and assess the situation, unless you wish to stay out in the corridors."  Snape's tone became serious as he stressed the point that he may be unreachable once he entered the potions room.

Nodding his understanding, Dumbledore frowned.  "I don't like it, but we have few choices available to us.  Very well, Severus.  I don't believe anything will change once you enter, so the children and I will wait for you to contact us in the next room."

Snape gave him a sharp nod, then waited for them to enter the other classroom before returning his attention to the door, which had appeared as soon as the others moved away far enough.

The dark-haired man reached out to grasp the doorknob, turned it, and firmly pushed against the door, which opened silently.  Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and peered in.

The room was in almost complete darkness, broken only by a few subdued lit candles.

As the potions master scanned the room, nothing out of the ordinary met his gaze.  He hesitantly took a step into the room, leaving the door open.  Nothing evil befell him, so he slowly took a few more steps into the room, his gaze continually searching for the young woman, or anything else that would account for the disappearing door.

Hearing a quiet _'snick'_ behind him, he swiftly turned around, only to see that the door he had purposely left open had closed on its own volition.  Quickly moving back to the door, he re-opened it, and was relieved to see that the opening was still there, giving him the option to leave if he so chose.

Closing the door, he turned back towards the room, and began to slowly walk towards the front where his potions table was located, pausing now and again, to peer into the shadows.

It was as he passed the row of tables in the front of the room that he saw her.

Tucked away in a dark corner opposite his teaching table, a plethora of cushions were scattered, and it was in the midst of these cushions that _she_ sat – a diminutive figure swathed in dark material.

She made no move to indicate that she knew he was there, but he _knew_ that she knew.

Her unusual stillness allowed him to observe her closely.  He first noticed that she was blindfolded, which was quickly followed by his curious observations of the material wrapped around her limbs.  She looked relatively unharmed.

Snape was so caught up in his examination of the young woman, that he didn't notice the large eyes that cautiously watched him, until he stepped closer.

Startled, he froze.  Although he recognized the large eyes as belonging to house-elves, he was wary after noting that there seemed to be about twenty of them surrounding the young woman – most were on the same cushions where the woman silently sat, but a few sat on the shelves above the area, and some peered from behind the heavy curtains of the windows to the left.  They all seemed tense, their postures indicative of their protecting the young woman.

Snape backed away, slowly, so as not to startle them, and made his way to the fireplace as short distance away.  Lighting a small blaze, he grabbed the can of powder that would allow him to make contact with the Headmaster in the next room.

Tossing a small handful of powder into the blaze, he waited until it turned the customary green color before calling out the Headmaster's name.  It took only a short moment for Dumbledore's head to appear within the flames.

"Severus!  We were beginning to worry – you took so long to contact us."  Dumbledore said, looking concerned.  "Is everything all right there?"

"Reasonably so, if you don't count twenty house-elves who look as though they will attack if I take so much as a tiny step in the young woman's direction."  Snape's lips thinned.

"House-elves?!  How are they connected to all this?  Have any of them spoken to you?"

"Not as of yet, Headmaster.  As soon as I ascertained that the young woman was here, I contacted you for further instruction."

"How does she look?  Is she well?"

"I…believe so."  Snape's lips quirked.  "At least I found out where the silk curtains and cushions went."

Dumbledore chuckled.  Noticing the hesitation on his potions master's face, the Headmaster's look sobered.  "What is it, Severus?"

"For some reason, she is blindfolded.  Her hands and arms are also wrapped, and, if I'm not mistaken, the elves have put something into her nasal passages.  When we last saw her, she was unharmed, which leads me to wonder why she is bandaged in such a fashion."

"The only way to find out is to ask one of them, I suppose…"  The Headmaster's voice trailed off as his head turned away for a moment, distracted by something.  

Turning back to face the potions master once again, Dumbledore said, "Mr. Potter says to ask for Dobby, Severus.  If he's not there, call for him.  Apparently, Dobby gave Harry a cryptic message that must have something to do with this very situation, and he didn't understand until now."

"Typical Gryffindor."  Snape muttered, before calling Dobby's name.  Seeing no response from the crowd of house-elves within the room, he pulled out his wand.  Calling Dobby's name louder, the potions master waved his wand in the gesture generally used to call up a house-elf.

With a crack, another small elf appeared in the previously empty space to the side of the pile of cushions where the young woman sat.

"Master Snape wishes to see Dobby, sir?"

The small house-elf stood there, tense with apparent worry, as its hands twisted the gathered material of the garment it wore.  His eyes darted to the young woman, and his expression softened into a smile.

Snape's eyebrow rose at the unusual ensemble the small elf wore – brightly colored socks, a wide tie with a big fish printed on it, a green vest with yellow polka-dots, and a knitted tea-cozy on its head.

"Yes, Dobby.  You told Mr. Potter to have you called for when you were needed.  I presume this is when you meant?"  Snape gave the elf a hard look.

"Y-yes, sir."  Dobby stuttered.

"If you knew he was looking for the young woman, why didn't you tell him where she was?  For that matter, why didn't you tell the Headmaster?"  Snape said sharply.

"She did not wish to be found yet.  She wished to rest, sir."  Dobby said softly, shuffling his feet.

"Who is she, Dobby?"

Dobby hesitated, looking over at the woman for a moment before returning his attention to the scowling potions master.

"Elizabeth, sir."

"Elizabeth who?"

"Dobby cannot say, sir."

"Why not?"

"She has not given permission, sir."

The potions master looked startled, then narrowed his eyes at the small elf standing before him.

"Who is she that you must have her permission to answer?"

"Dobby cannot say, sir."

"Where is she from?"

"Dobby cannot say, sir."

"Is she a muggle?"

Dobby hesitated, looking again at the young woman.  He cocked his head, as if listening.

Turning back to the dark-haired man, the elf slowly responded, "No…and yes."

"What kind of answer is that?  Either she is, or she isn't."  Snape snapped.

"She was born a muggle, but became something more.  She died, and when you brought her back, she became something more than what she became."

Snape had to take a moment to figure out that confusing statement.

"What is she now?"

"Dobby cannot say, sir."

"Why is she here?"

"Dobby cannot say, sir."

The scowling potions master continued to fire off questions, causing the house-elf to become more and more agitated, as the dark-haired man became angrier with each unhelpful response.  

With each question, Snape stepped closer to the small elf, who edged closer to the young woman.  It wasn't until Dobby gave another 'Dobby cannot say, sir' and tripped and fell backwards onto the cushions, that the potions master noticed the young woman holding up a hand in the universal gesture of 'stop'.

Dobby crawled up towards the young woman, and sat at her feet, shaking like a leaf, before grasping at the material she was wrapped in with both hands, burying his face in the cloth.

Snapping out of his anger, Snape realized what he was doing.  Covering his eyes with one hand, he shook his head before swiping his hand down over the rest of his face.

Knowing that he had over-reacted with the timid house-elf, Snape softened his voice as he called Dobby's name.

The elf didn't raise his face from the cloth until Elizabeth softly brushed her fingers over his head.  He cautiously turned to look at the potions master.

"I…regret taking my anger out on you, Dobby.  It's not your fault that you cannot answer my questions."  Snape said.  

Though not exactly an 'I'm sorry', it was close enough to it for the house-elf to nod his acceptance of the gesture.

Taking a moment to calm himself, Snape scrutinized the young woman once more, wondering, yet again, why she was blindfolded, why her arms were wrapped, and why her nasal passages were blocked.  It only took a moment for him to make the connection, confirming it when he took a step to the side and peered closely at her ears, which were also blocked with some substance.

"Dobby, can you tell me why all aspects of her sense perception has been blocked?"  Snape asked quietly.

"Sir?"  Dobby queried, confused at the large words.

"Why is she blindfolded?  Why are her arms wrapped?  Why are her ears and nose blocked?  Why can't she speak for herself?"

"Everything hurts her, sir, very much."  Dobby said, finally comprehending what was being asked.

"How can everything hurt?  She was incapacitated for less than a week!  That shouldn't affect someone to that degree."  Snape exclaimed.

"She was gone longer, sir."  

"Longer?!  How can that be, unless she…" Snape trailed off, remembering the events of the spell.  Pausing a moment at that thought, he continued softly, "How much longer, Dobby?"

Dobby hesitated, glancing with a sorrowful look at the young woman before turning his large sad eyes back to the potions master.

"Forever, sir."

"Forever."  Snape repeated, looking ill as he began to get an idea of what the young woman was snatched from.  "And what is forever like, Dobby?"

"Forever is soft.  Forever is warm.  Forever is quiet.  Forever is…home."  Dobby replied in a hushed voice.

Snape blanched at Dobby's response.  As much as the wizarding world had turned their backs on religion, most wizards and witches, including himself, had still wondered what was on the other side of death.  To know that it is a wondrous place, and that they had taken this young woman from it, made their actions all the more worse.

"She does not blame you for it, sir."  Dobby said to the man standing silently before them, seeming to know exactly what he was thinking.  "She knows now that she had to come back…that it wasn't time for her to be in Forever yet.  They said so, or you wouldn't have been allowed to bring her back."

"Who says so, Dobby?  Who has the right to take her from that peace?"  Snape said harshly.

"D-Dobby c-cannot say, s-sir."  Dobby cringed back, expecting the dark-haired man to get angry again.

Snape sighed.  Knowing it was futile to ask any more questions, he turned and made his way back to the fireplace.  The Headmaster was still there, thought he was beginning to fade away at the edges.  Snape tossed more powder into the fireplace, and waited for the image to sharpen.

Seeing the disturbed expression on the Headmaster's face, Snape said tiredly, "I assume you heard everything, Albus."  

"I did, my dear boy, but it is what is left unsaid that disturbs me.  Could you please ask Dobby to come closer – I wish to question him…differently."

Snape turned back to the cushions, and its inhabitants, and gestured to the small elf.  After a quick look at the young woman, the house-elf scurried over to the fireplace.

As soon as he saw the timid house-elf's face, the Headmaster gentle said, "Dobby, I know there are many things you cannot say, so do not be worried if you are unable to answer my questions."

Dobby nodded, relieved at not having to go against his Master's wishes.

"Dobby, what _can_ you tell us about the young woman, Elizabeth, I believe you said her name is?"

"Yes, sir.  She asks for you to call her Elizabeth, sir."  Dobby said, happy he could finally give an answer.  The elf continued (now that the _right_ question was asked), "She was strong, but now she is weak.  She is here to heal.  She is here for us to help her.  She is here for us to protect her until she is strong again.  She is here to help when she is strong again."

"How can she help us Dobby?  And help us with what?"  Dumbledore asked.

Dobby's ears drooped with the knowledge that he couldn't answer those questions.

"Don't worry about it Dobby – I can see that you cannot answer."  Dumbledore gave a gentle smile to the small elf, whose ears lifted again.

"Can you tell us why she ran away from the infirmary?"

"The light hurt her eyes.  The sounds hurt her ears.  The stinky mans scared her."

"Stinky mans, Dobby?  Are you talking about Sirius and Remus?"

"Yes!  Yes!  The stinky mans!  They stinks of the darker magics!"

Dumbledore quickly made the connection.  "Is that why the castle will not allow me to enter the room, Dobby?  Because I also 'stink of the darker magics'?"

"Yes, sir."  Dobby nodded his head emphatically.  "The darker magic smells hurt her."

"I'm sure it will fade away at some point, Dobby."

"Yes, sir, in many many days."  Dobby nodded enthusiastically.

"Dobby, you mentioned that…Elizabeth…used to be a muggle, became more than a muggle, and is now something more than that.  Can you tell us more?  Is she a witch?"

"A witch?"  Dobby seemed to hesitate, as if unsure of how to answer that question.  Looking back at the woman, he cocked his head again.  His eyes widened, and with a small 'Oh', he turned his attention back to the Headmaster.  "Yes…and no."

"I don't think I understand your answer Dobby, can you explain?"

Struggling to find the right words, Dobby slowly spoke, "She will be able to do…magic, like you, Master Dumbalee-door, but…but, she will also be able to do…other magic-type things…sometimes."

"As far as I know, Dobby, our magic is the only type of magic for humans, whether it be with or without a wand.  What other type of magic is there?"

"D-Dobby cannot say, sir."

"It's all right Dobby.  You're doing well, little one."

At the Headmaster's words, the small house-elf beamed.

"Dobby, when you said 'she will be able to do magic', do you mean to say that she was never able to before?  Is that one of the things that we need to help her with?"

"Yes, sir."

"Is there anything else we can help her with?"

"Yes, sir.  She needs help 'membering the words.  She needs help 'membering how to speak."  The house elf stopped speaking, dropping his gaze and shuffling his feet, reluctant to continue asking for the one thing the house-elves tried to talk her out of.

"And what else, Dobby?"  Dumbledore asked softly, seeing that the elf was troubled by his yet unspoken request.

"Elizabeth wishes to…to…stay with a human.  To be protected by him, to be helped by him."  Dobby reluctantly said, peeking at the dark-haired man standing silently beside him, before quickly looking away.

Dumbledore's eyes danced with amusement as he asked, "And who has she chosen to be her protector, Dobby."

Dobby mumbled his answer.

"I'm sorry, Dobby, I didn't catch that."  Dumbledore said, his voice thick with laughter.  Having caught Dobby's side-ways glance, he had an idea of who Elizabeth had chosen.

"Professor Snape, sir."  Dobby squeaked out.

There was a moment of silence, before…

"Absolutely not!"  Snape spat out.  "I refuse to have some strange woman invading my private quarters, Albus!"

Dumbledore coughed, desperately trying to contain his amusement.

Hearing muffled sounds in the fireplace, Snape snapped, "Ten points each from Gryffindor, for laughing at a teacher!"

The sounds stopped.

Snape began to pace in front of the fireplace, almost tripping over the small house-elf, who had recoiled from his explosion.

"You can't do this to me, Albus!  My private quarters are just that, private!  It's the only place I can get any peace and quiet from those obnoxious brats I have to teach!"

"Severus…"  Dumbledore tried to interrupt his colleague's tirade.

"And I don't want a flat mate!  Especially a FEMALE one!"

"Severus…"

"Before you know it, that goop they put on their face is all over the place…"

"Severus…"

"…stockings are hanging everywhere…"

"Severus…"

"…not to mention their unmentionables…"

"Severus…"

"…and let's not even go into their inane chatter…"

"SEVERUS!!"

The potions master lurched to a halt, glaring at the man in the flames.

"Severus…If she dies, we die."  Dumbledore said softly.  "She has asked for your protection.  Will you deny her that?"

Snape's shoulders drooped in defeat.

"Very well, Albus.  But you owe me for this."  Snape ground out.

"If she is as important as Harry's vision indicates, I think we will end up owing her."  Dumbledore said soberly.

The two men fell silent.

Shaking himself out of his revere, the Headmaster addressed the morose looking man.  "If you give me a moment, I will have the castle…Oh…uh…never mind.  Apparently the castle has already taken…liberties…to attach another room to your quarters and expand your living area to accommodate another person."

Snape scowled.  "I hope it expanded it enough so I'm not tripping over her all the time."

"I'm sure the castle has taken that into consideration, Severus."  Dumbldore chuckled.

Shooting a glare at the Headmaster, the potions master turned to instruct the house-elves to take the young woman…Elizabeth…to her new quarters, only to find that they had all disappeared, taking the extensive collection of pillows with them.

Turning his scowl back to the man in the flames, Snape bit out, "It seems as though our _guest and her entourage have already made themselves at home in my quarters."_

Dumbledore chuckled.  "Then I'll leave you to get your new…uh…flat mate settled, Severus."

Snape glared at him.

"Well…*cough*…uh, come see me if you need to, Severus.  Goodbye."

The flame went out with a quick *poof*, letting the older man make his escape.

Snape scowled at the now empty fireplace before whirling around and swiftly stalking towards the door.

Pausing his stride half-way there, Snape looked up at the ceiling and glared, before shouting out, "And I **_refuse_** to share a bathroom!!"

A/N:  All who think 'filler', Say Aye!  Sorry if you think that, but I hope it was at least interesting.  Cross your fingers that the next chapter will flow more quickly out my brain.  For the next chapter, I have a few scenes bubbling in the back of my brain that are tickling me pink, SO pink that you can just call me Barbie.  LOL  Seriously though, I really want to get it out quickly, so you can be Barbies too.  ;)

NEED ADVICE…(Please use the review section, or email me directly)  I think part of "taking so long to update" problem stems from wondering if the story sounds like it's going from having a fairly decent literary distinction to a "Dick and Jane" book.  

OK, maybe that's a _little_ excessive, but I'm not sure if Ch. 4 & 5 are flowing as well as the first three chapters.  It could be that I'm being impatient, wanting to get to the good parts (that I think about over, and over, and over again…), and that's why Ch. 4 & 5 don't feel like they flow well.  Or maybe I'm just being paranoid, since this is my first fanfiction.

Let me know what you think.  Is it still OK?  Is it becoming less descriptive?  Disjointed?  Am I forgetting characters?  Am I just being paranoid?  Am I being a poophead about updating in a timely manner?  Wait a sec…I already know the answer to that one.  LOL

Your input would be greatly appreciated…especially if it's honest.  Don't worry about hurting feelings…be blunt – I tend to be "Oblivious Girl" unless it's staring me in the face.  

Oh, and feel free to chase me around on your bicycle, saying "I want my two dollars", or in this case, "I want my next chapter".

Ta!  And Thanks!!


	6. Books, Buttocks, Crying, and Clothes

Note to Reader's, The Full Title is:

When It's Time to Change, You've Got to Re-Arrange, Who You Are and What You're Gonna Be  

(The title also end's with a lot of Sha na na's, and if you understand this, you've must be as old as I am.  LOL)

A/N:  

IT'S ABOUT TIME, DAMMIT!!

Yes, yes, what can I say, I'm a poophead.  The extensive delay in this chapter was not intentional – life got in the way…or should I say an Astronomy class.  Word to the wise:  if you ever find out a class is front-loaded, run away as fast as you can!  If it's front-loaded **and** an online course, drop the class and blow up your computer.  You have been warned.  ;)   

In no way will I abandon this story, there are too many scenes left to write, and I don't like leaving things unfinished.  There may be delays sometimes, as I work full time, am taking 2-3 colleges courses each semester, and have weekend projects to do around the house.  I just hope any delays that may occur will never be this long again.

Thank you all for your wonderful reviews and emails!  Based on your responses, I've decided not to worry about whether or not it sounds like a filler, and just enjoy writing the scenes as they appear in my brain.  And a big thanks to cool_cucumber87 for not filling up my mailbox with massive quantities of emails unless I updated soon like they threatened to.  LOL

Note to Maven – Could you let me know what references are making it sound AU, or implies later than 4th year?  I'm trying to keep it during 4th year, and would like to know which scene(s) you're referring to, so I can either "explain them away" in one of the chapters, or just make note that it's AU.  Thanks!!

On another note, this story may go AU later on (aka Harry's 5th year), but I'm going to try and incorporate as much of the OotP storyline as I can.  Now, since you all have been incredibly nice about the long wait, I'll shut up so you can get on with the story.  Cheers!! 

**Books, Buttocks, Crying, and Clothes – Or How Many Times Can We Embarrass Snape in One Chapter**

_A grouch escapes so many little annoyances that it almost pays to be one.   
**Kin Hubbard** _

"She WHAT?!"

"She has chosen Severus as her 'protector', Sirius.  And I am afraid you will be unable to see Miss Elizabeth for some time.  Apparently, the spell we performed left a residual taint upon us that is extremely discomfiting for her."

Dumbledore watched the hot-tempered man pacing in front of his desk.

"But…but why did she choose HIM of all people?!" Sirius sputtered, "He's a right bastard!  Not to mention the whole Dark Magic Death Eater that clings to him like stink on shi…"

"Sirius!  Language!"  Professor McGonagall sharply cut off the aggravated man.

"My apologies, Minerva."  Sirius had the good manners to look abashed, but jutted out his chin, and firmly continued, "I just can't understand why she would choose that greasy git over someone who _isn't touched by Dark Magic.  I won't stand for it!  Elizabeth doesn't understand that Snape is __EVIL!  He'll probably hand her over to his Death Eater friends before you kno…"_

"ENOUGH!"  Dumbledore rarely raised his voice, but when he did, everyone stopped to listen.  "Elizabeth's reasons are her own, Sirius, though I could venture to guess at a few.  She is where she needs to be."

"And what might those reasons be, Albus?  You have to admit that her choice is rather…odd."  Remus Lupin softly asked, hoping the answers would keep his friend's temper from escalating even more.  If there was one thing he knew about Sirius Black, it was that his friend's protective instincts tended to be swift, violent, and very, very messy.

Dumbledore gave the soft-spoken man a small smile of thanks.

"Tell me Remus, if all five of your senses where heightened to extreme levels, where in the castle would you most likely be comfortable?"

The werewolf took a moment to think about that, before responding, "A remote part of the dungeons, I would venture."

"And if your identity must remain unknown, by both students and other teachers, what type of person would you need to stay with?"

"Someone who is solitary, and discourages visitors to their private quarters."  Remus's lips quirked, knowing where the Headmaster was taking this.

"And if you needed to be protected, who would you chose?"  Albus gave the werewolf a small smile of approval.

"The most powerful witch or wizard available, and if he is not available, the next most powerful witch or wizard…especially one whose wards are so strong, a flea couldn't sneeze without him knowing it."

"And who here at Hogwart's fits all these requirements?"  Albus's eyes were twinkling, as he could literally see the scowling Sirius connecting the proverbial dots.

"Professor Snape, of course.  Though, I would guess that he is about as pleased at being chosen as Sirius is."  Remus gave the Headmaster a quirky grin.

Chuckling, Dumbledore said, "You guess correctly, my friend."

"Sirius does have a point, though.  Why doesn't Severus's Dark Mark affect her?  I would think that the dark energy used to create it has an even stronger residual taint than the 'grey' spell we did."

"Not everything is known about how magic works, Remus.  But it would be my guess that it is because the residue left by the spell is still resonating within our magical aura, and this residue is clashing with the energies currently flowing in Elizabeth's body."

"I don't think I understand, Albus."

"Think of it in terms of muggle magnets, Remus.  Are you familiar with them?"

"Only in general terms.  I believe a magnet is a piece of metal that carries an energy current which attracts other metals, and are strongest at two ends that are opposite each other.  And something about two magnets repelling each other at their similar ends.  But what does this have to do with anything, Albus?"

"I believe it will help explain why our presence hurts the young woman."  Dumbledore said.  "Think of our magical auras, and our magic, as naturally having a north-south orientation.  When we performed the spell, it was 'attracted' to our magic, just as metal is to a magnet, and attached itself to our magical aura.  If metal is attached to a north-south oriented magnet long enough, it temporarily becomes magnetized itself, but with a south-north orientation.  That's where the term 'opposites attract' comes from, by the way.  So, using this theory, the spell that attached itself to our magical aura became magically 'charged', so to speak, with a south-north orientation.  If you remember, the magical 'charge' was absorbed into the young woman's body.  And though it was originally a south-north orientation, it is our magical aura's instinct to be a north-south orientation.  So, after a short period of time, Elizabeth's magical aura re-oriented itself."

"Thereby creating a situation where we repel each other."  Remus nodded his head in understanding. "But why aren't we affected?  And that still doesn't explain why Severus's Dark Mark doesn't affect her."

"Yeah, if anyone was a repelling magnet, it would be Snape."  Sirius grumbled.

The Headmaster gave the difficult man a censuring look, but Sirius only crossed his arms and looked away.

"I believe Elizabeth's heightened sense may be the only explanation.  By all indications it seems that the young woman went through some type of sensory deprivation for an untold amount of time.  It may be that the resonation within our auras is at a level we are unaware of, but that Elizabeth, with her sensitive senses, is overwhelmed by.  As for Severus's mark, it could be that it no longer has a magical 'charge', or that the 'charge' is resonating at a different frequency than ours."

"Is this permanent, Albus?"  Minerva interjected.

"I am of the understanding that it will fade in time – that it will lose its 'magical charge', if you will.  But until that time, none of us will be able to approach her without causing her pain."

Minerva and Remus nodded their understanding and acceptance of the young woman's decision to place herself under Professor Snape's care.

"I want to talk to her."  Sirius snapped, still scowling.

"Her difficulties extend to communication, Sirius.  One of the things she asked of us, is to help her remember how to speak.  She will be unable to understand your words, my dear boy."  Albus said gently.

"I don't care!  I want to see if she's all right."  

Dumbledore sighed, knowing how stubborn Mr. Black could be.

"You will not be able to see her in person because of the magical residue, but I will see if Severus's fireplace is lit."

So saying, the Headmaster made his way to the fireplace, and picked up a tin of powder.  Throwing some into the flames, he called out "Professor Snape's private quarters."

A long moment later, the potion master's head appeared in the flames.

"Yes, Headmaster?"  He said, a look of irritation on his face.

"How is your guest settling in to her new home, Severus?"

Snape literally growled.

"Well enough, though my living space looks like an abandoned pillow fight."  Snape was momentarily distracted as he yelled at someone in the background.  "No! No!  Do _not_ touch _anything on my side table."_

With a muttered _'ídiot elf'_, the dark-haired man turned his attention back to the Headmaster.

"This is a mistake Albus!  We'll kill each other in less than a week, or I'll strangle one of the house-elves that fawn over her," the potions master grumbled, a look of extreme displeasure on his face.

"You'll be fine, my dear boy, though it will take some time to get used to each other," Dumbledore chuckled.  "May we speak to her, Severus."

"You know she won't understand you, Albus."

"I understand, but there is someone here who would like to see that she is unharmed."

Snape sighed, "Very well," and stepped back from the fireplace.

After a moment, the young woman's blindfolded head appeared.

"Hello my dear.  I know you don't understand me, but I do hope you will recover soon."  Dumbledore said gently.

Though the woman looked confused, she seemed to understand what the tone of his voice was trying to convey, and gave him a small smile.

The Headmaster stepped back, allowing Sirius to move forward into her line of sight.  He gasped when he saw that she was blindfolded, and turned an angry face toward Dumbledore.  Before he was able to speak, Dumbledore held up a hand.

"Her vision has also been affected, Sirius.  Her eyes must remain covered, until they adjust to normal levels of light again."

Nodding his head sharply, Sirius turned back to the young woman, and gave her a smile.

"Hello Elizabeth, I'm Sirius…Sirius Black.  I'm sorry if we hurt you back in the infirmary, but we didn't know about the residue on our auras.  I hope you get better soon.  I'd like to meet you."

Elizabeth gave him a small bewildered smile, then turned her face away from the fire, looking at something or someone beside her.

Snape's head reappeared in place of Elizabeth's, and Sirius scowled at him.

"Elizabeth is tired, Albus.  Was there anything else you needed."

The Headmaster moved in front of the fireplace again.  "No, no, Severus.  That is all.  Thank you for letting us speak with her."

The potion master nodded, then severed the connection.

"I still think Elizabeth should stay with someone else."  Sirius grumbled.

"We all must abide by her decision, Sirius," Dumbledore said firmly.  "Now, why don't you spend a pleasant evening with your Godson, since you are leaving come morning."

The scowl left his face as Sirius thought about spending time with Harry, and gave the Headmaster an enthusiastic nod.

Gesturing to Remus that they should leave, he transformed into his canine form and loped after his friend.

As soon as they left, the Deputy Headmistress turned to the Headmaster, "Why didn't you tell him that we are able to communicate with the young woman through the house-elves, Albus?"

"It wouldn't be wise for Sirius to know, Minerva.  He would attempt to find a way to speak with her as often as possible, and that would be dangerous for him in his current situation.  Until proof of his innocence is made available, Mr. Black needs to attract as little attention as possible."

Minerva nodded her head in agreement at that assessment, and bid the Headmaster a good night, closing the door softly behind her.

With a look of contemplation on his face, Dumbledore quietly said, "Besides, I think it will be good for Severus to have someone depending on him.  It has been a long time since he felt needed.  Do you not agree, Fawkes?"

The phoenix trilled in response.

***************************************************************

[Four days later]

_Scratch, scratch, scratch…_

_*I wonder if she thinks of anything.*_

_Scratch, scratch…_

_*I wonder what she does when I'm not here.*_

_Scratch…_

_*She's literally blindfolded.  Are her eyes open?  Closed?  Does she even blink?*_

"Argh!"

Severus Snape, renowned for always being in control, lost it.  Tossing down the quill he was using to mark 4th year potions essays, he pushed himself away from his desk and abruptly stood.

Stalking over to the silent woman sitting in front of _his fireplace, he glared at her._

"What am I supposed to do with you?  You just sit there not making a sound, which is supposed to be more pleasurable than hearing a woman yammer on about nothing.  I could only wish that my students were just as quiet.  But this…this…_STILLNESS_ is positively…eerie.  Couldn't you move around, make some noise – sniff, cough, pass gas, for all I care!  Just don't sit there!  If it weren't for various house-elves popping in for some inane reason or other, I would think someone moved one of the castle statues into my quarters."

The young woman did nothing.  

"Dammit!!  Say something!  How am I supposed to teach you the words if you don't respond in some manner?  I can't even tell if you're paying attention!  Do something!  Anything!  Let me know you're aware that I'm standing in front of you!"

The young woman still did nothing, face pointed at a blank wall to the side of the fireplace.

"Gah!"

Snape threw his hands up in the air, then turned and stalked out of his private quarters, making sure to slam the portrait cover behind him.  A faint "Pillock!" could be heard from the portrait's occupant, as angry steps faded in the distance.

A small smile graced the lips of the woman left behind, as she thought, _"I cannot learn the words unless the dark one talks to me, but he won't talk to me because I cannot respond.  Maybe, this time, the Old One would have a solution to this stalemate."_

**********************************************

_SLAM!_

"This is unacceptable, Albus!"

"Come in, Severus.  Would you care for some tea?"

This was the fourth time, in as many days, that Albus Dumbledore's potions master came bursting into his office…and he could guess again, for the fourth time, what it was about.  Hiding a smile, he gestured for the irate man to take one of the comfortable chairs in front of his desk, and conjured up a cup of Chamomile tea to help soothe his employee's agitation.

"That woman is driving me insane, Albus!  She does absolutely nothing…_says absolutely nothing…I'm beginning to wonder if she's even alive!"_

With that said, Snape dropped heavily into the indicated chair, and grabbed the cup of tea before him.  Bringing it up to take a sip, he wrinkled his nose at the cloying scent of Chamomile, before placing it heavily back onto its saucer, untasted.

"Why me, Albus?  Why couldn't someone else take care of her, like Flitwick or Hootch – they _like_ to natter on about everything.  You know I don't socialize well with _regular_ people, but with her…I feel like I'm talking to a piece of furniture."

Chucking, Dumbledore said, "Surely it can't be that bad, Severus."

"Yes!  It is!  What am I supposed to talk about?  Myself?  I thought we were trying to help her remember the words, not scare her away?  Potions?  Do you _want_ me to confuse her even more?  We're literally from different worlds and have little in common.  She's from the Muggle world, Albus.  What do I know about that?"  Sighing in frustration, Severus grabbed the cup of tea again, actually taking a sip, not remembering that it was the hated Chamomile.

"You don't need to know anything about her world to communicate, Severus."  Dumbledore said kindly, as he lifted himself up from his chair and moved around his desk to place a gentle hand on the dark-haired man's shoulder.  "All you need to do is give her the words."

"And how am I supposed to do that?"  Snape slumped in the chair in defeat, carelessly tossing the now empty tea cup back on the desk.

"I'm surprised, Severus.  I thought you would have figured out the most obvious solution to this problem, but maybe the stress of the situation is clouding your thinking – it's happened to the best of us, at times."

As the Headmaster was speaking, he moved to one of the many shelves in his office and selected an item, seemingly at random, and turned back, placing the item in the potions master's hands.

Staring at it in incomprehension, Snape looked at the Headmaster in confusion.

"Read to her, Severus.  Elizabeth doesn't need your _personal_ words to help her understand our language again.  She just needs words."

"But Hogwart's: A History?  Even I found this tedious at times."

"It doesn't have to be that book in particular.  We _do _have an extensive collection of literature in our Muggle Studies section of the library.  I'm sure you can choose something appropriate, and, if not, there are several students from the Muggle world who would be able to suggest suitable books that would be of interest to a young woman."

Snape sneered at the thought of asking a _student _for help.

"Very well.  I suppose this is approach is better than nothing," the potions master said, lifting himself tiredly from the chair.

Handing the large tome back to the Headmaster, he continued, "I believe I will see what the library has to offer, as I wouldn't want to put the young woman to sleep…nor myself."

"I'm glad I could be of service, Severus."

With a slight nod of his head, the potions master exited the Headmaster's office…much more quietly than he had entered.

*************************************************

Hermione peeked over her book for the fifth time, as the figure of her cranky potions professor stalked down the same isle a third time.  The man paused every once in a while to peer closely at the titled binding of a particular book, a scowl permanently etched on his face.

She had no clue what he was looking for, but it was apparent that he wasn't finding it.  After a brief internal debate, she sighed in resignation.  Setting her book gently on the table in front of her, she rose from her seat and reluctantly made her way over to the frowning man.

"Professor?"  Hermione began tentatively, carefully trying to word her question to _not_ include the word 'help', figuring the touchy professor wouldn't admit to needing it.  "I know these stacks fairly well.  Are you looking for a specific book?"

Straightening up, Snape clasped his hands behind his back and glowered at the bushy-haired young woman.

"No, Ms. Granger."

"Oh…uh…well…"  Hermione stammered out, cheeks flushed.  "Um, I'll leave you to your search then."

Quickly turning on her heels, she returned to her seat, propping the book back in front of her face to hide her flaming cheeks.  She signed in relief that her foray into "helpful little Gryffindor" hadn't cost her house any points.

She wondered what he was looking for.

**********************************************

Twenty minutes passed, and Professor Snape still traveled up and down the multitude of Muggle Studies book stacks, his frustration clearly imprinted on his face.

Finally admitting defeat, he reluctantly made his way to the table where Hermione Granger was still sitting submersed in her studies, thankful that it was in a secluded area.  He silently watched her for a moment, as she scratched several lines onto her already over-filled parchment.

Clearing his throat, he attempted to garner the young woman's attention, but failed.  Rapping his knuckles sharply on the table, he said, "Ms. Granger, may I have a moment of your time."

Her head whipped up, eyes widening in surprise.

"Y-yes, Professor?"

"It seems I have been unsuccessful in my search," he began slowly, "With your particular upbringing, and being of the female gender, you may be of some use in narrowing the field."

"Professor?"  Hermione gave him a confused look.

"You're a young Muggle woman, Ms. Granger.  What books would interest someone of the same background and gender?"  Snape said exasperatedly.

"Oh…Oh!"  If possible, Hermione's eyes widened even more.  Quickly looking to see if they were alone, she continued, "Is this for…"

"Yes."  Snape quickly interrupted, before carefully wording the rest of his response, "The Headmaster suggested that reading would be useful in…this particular situation." 

A look of comprehension dawned on her face.  "Of-of course.  It would be of great help, especially if you aren't used to speaking a lot to other peo…"

Hermione trailed off, her face flushing in embarrassment at what her statement implied.

"Indeed, Ms. Granger."  Quirking an eyebrow at her gaff, while scowling – a unique expression that not many people could achieve.

"What…what kind of books are you looking for?" the young girl quickly asked.

"That is where my problem lays, Ms. Granger.  I am unaware of the type of reading material someone of your gender may find of interest."

"Um…well, it's different for every girl, just like it is for boys.  I could make several suggestions, and you could choose from those?"  Hermione offered, making a move to head towards the stacks.

"That will be acceptable, Ms. Granger, but it is getting late.  Make your selections and bring them to me after class tomorrow.  I will make arrangements with Madam Pince for you to check them out under my name." Snape said stiffly.

"Yes Professor."

"Good night, Ms. Granger."  

"Good night, sir."

Snape quickly turned and made his way out of the library.

Hermione sank back in relief, then frowned.  _'For a conversation of Can you help me, yes, thank you, __it sure took a lot of words.'_

********************************************

"Crikey, Hermione!  Are you carrying the whole library with you?!" Ron exclaimed, eyeing the, not one, but _two book bags that were weighing down his bushy-haired friend._

"No, I am not, Ronald Weasley."  Hermione said in a clipped voice, hoping her tone would fend off any other questions in an attempt to avoid the subject of why she was carrying a multitude of books.  She was sure that Professor Snape would put Gryffindor House into negative points if it got out that he had had to resort to asking a student from his rival house for help, not to mention a Muggle one at that! 

"You have to admit you're carrying around more books than usual, Hermione.  What are they for?"  Harry, ever the peacemaker, tried to keep the conversation from veering off into another famous Weasley/Granger argument.

Hermione hesitated a moment, not wanting to lie to her friends, but circumstances being as they were, "I just finished up a project for my Arithmancy class, and need to return these to the library as soon as class is over, or Madam Pince may revoke my privileges.  I really didn't mean to keep them out this long."

Harry gave her a funny look, but accepted her answer.  Ron, of course, was oblivious.  Entering the potions classroom, the trio quickly took their seats.

Class proceeded as usual, except that Snape seemed to be in less of a bad mood.  Gryffindor House was down by only 30 points, which was a miracle in itself, as they usually had over 100 points taken away each class.

Unfortunately, Neville still had his own personal problems.  He may have finished class physically unscathed, but Seamus Finnigan had to lead him from the room, since Neville kept twitching his head and saying "That's OK, everything's all right" over and over again.

Harry snorted at the sight.  _'I thought Stepford children were supposed to be perfect?"_

Shaking his head at that thought, he called out to Hermione, who was slowly putting her items away.  "Coming, Hermione?"

"In a moment, Harry.  But I have to go to the library, remember?  Don't wait for me.  I'll catch up with you in the Common Room, or at dinner."

"OK, if you're sure."

"I'm sure.  I'll see you later.

Shrugging his shoulders, Harry grabbed his bag and exited the classroom, catching up Ron, who was waiting outside.

Taking a quick look around the classroom and seeing that she was the only student left, Hermione grabbed the second book bag and approached the potions professor at the front of the room.

Noticing that his desk was covered by several boiling cauldrons and stacks of papers, she stopped at a student desk in the front row, and placed the bag on one of the seats.

"Professor Snape?"  She called out tentatively.

The dark haired man looked up from the cauldron he was observing and glared at her.

"Yes, Ms. Granger?"

"I…um…brought the…items…you requested."  Hermione shifted her weight from foot to foot in nervousness.

"Yes, yes.  Just leave them on the desk."

"Um, sir?  Most of them don't have any dust jackets, so I thought I should tell you what they were about, so you are better able to choose."  Hermione flushed and looked away, her hand clenching the handle of the bag.

"Very well."  Frowning, Snape lowered the flame on two of the cauldrons before making his way to where the nervous girl was fidgeting.  Removing his wand from his robes, he waved it at the door to shut and lock it, before turning his attention back to the young Gryffindor.

Hermione had already begun removing the books from the bag, and stacked them haphazardly on the desk in front of her.  Some of the books were bound together with twine, some were loose, but most were anonymous in their multi-colored bindings.  There were about twenty-five in all.

As she poked her head closer to the opening of the bag, checking to see if there were any stray books still within, she heard a choked gasp.  Popping her head back up, she noticed her Professor drop one of the books in wide-eyed surprise.  He then wiped his hand on his robe, as if to clean off residual dirt.

Still staring at the book, Snape carefully picked it up again with two fingers, as if handling something really vile, and held it out to the curious Gryffindor.

"And _what_, pray tell, is _this_, Ms. Granger."  He asked sharply.

Hermione glanced at the book and flushed.  "Uh…well…uh…you said to choose books that a young female Muggle might like, sir.  I wasn't sure if she would be reading them herself or not, so…um…"

The potions master glared at her, still holding the book with his two fingers, the cover showing a buxom young red-haired woman, whose dress was practically falling off, being held against an impossibly muscular male body, his face passionately pressed against the young woman's upper chest and neck.  The title 'Passion's Fury' was emblazoned across the top of the cover.

"No, she will _not_ be reading them, _Ms._ Granger." Snape said in a clipped voice, dropping the book in front of her.

Her cheeks still pink, Hermione grabbed the book and stuffed it back into the bag, thankful she had only chosen one of its type.

Calming her flustered thoughts, she began to point at particular books and explaining their contents.  The dark haired professor was quick in his decisions, nixing most, and holding off on a couple.

"These bound ones are called trilogies or series.  The first are called 'Lord of the Rings', the second "Dune Series'.  If you like these, Tolkien has other books that tie into the trilogy, and Herbert has about five or six other books that continue the series.  I think these ones are going to be your best choices."  Hermione said excitedly.

She continued on to give a general overview of their contents, extolling the fact that Tolkien was a linguist, yet was able to write in a way that held a person's interest.  As for Herbert, well, he had a talent for writing stories that used subtle analogy, though his later books weren't held in as high a regard as his first ones were.

She would have gone on, but her stomach had other ideas.  With a loud growl, it made its displeasure known.

Raising an eyebrow, Snape smirked at her.

"Uh…well."  Hermione flushed.  "It must be time for dinner.  So…uh…I'll just take the rest of these books back to the library, sir."

"Of course, Ms. Granger."  With that ambiguous response, Snape removed his wand and unlocked the classroom door. 

Shoving the unwanted books back into her bag, she shouldered it, and moved to retrieve her regular book bag.  She headed toward the exit, but stopped in shock as she heard her professor say:

"And Ms. Granger…10 points to Gryffindor."

Turning back in shock, Hermione quietly watched the silent potions master change a quill into a book bag and put the approved books inside.

She quietly said, "I hope it works, sir," as she exited the room.

"As do I, Ms. Granger, as do I."  He responded to himself softly.

********************************************

Hermione was quieter than usual at dinner, drawing concerned glances from her friends.

"Are you OK, Herms?" Ron asked.

"I'm fine…just thinking," she responded absently.

"About what?"  This came from Harry, who was the more worried of the two boys.  To him, excessive silence was never a good thing, especially from a friend who would normally be chastising him and Ron throughout the meal about eating too fast, or not studying enough.

"Nothing important."

"Hermione…" Harry's tone implied that he knew it wasn't 'nothing important', and that he wasn't going to accept that as an answer.

"Harry..." Hermione hesitated a moment before going on, "can we talk about it later…in Professor Dumbledore's office?"

"Why…oh." For a moment, Harry was confused as to why Hermione wanted to talk about whatever 'it' was in the Headmaster's office, then made the connection.  "Is this about…"

Hermione gave him a pointed look and nodded.

"After dinner?"

"Yes, that will be fine."

Oddly enough, Ron kept quiet, only nodding his head in agreement of the arrangements.

A short time later, three silent teenagers made their way into the Headmaster's office.

"So what's this about, Herm's?"  As usual, Ron was the one to come to the point as quickly as possible.

"I was just thinking about her…Elizabeth…and was worried that we haven't heard anything for several days now.  I know that she chose Professor Snape as her 'protector', but I can't help but think that it isn't healthy for her to be so isolated."

"Well, she does need to stay out of sight until she's better, Hermione…at least that's what the visions told me," Harry said dubiously.

"I know Harry, but she doesn't see _anyone besides Snape, and that's not saying a lot.  I mean, he's only there in the evenings, so what does she do for the rest of the time?"_

"I do believe the house-elves are keeping her company, Ms. Granger." The Headmaster said cheerfully, as he entered into his own office.  "And, if I am correct in my interpreting their chatter, they are slowly helping her to overcome her disabilities."

"Disabilities, sir?  I don't remember her being injured…at least, not after she healed from when she first arrived."  Harry said, confused.

"Ah, but disabilities doesn't always mean physical incapacitation, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore responded with a smile, as he made his way to his desk and sat down.  "If you remember, Professor Snape mentioned that she was blindfolded, and wrapped in soft cloth, not to mention the blocking of her ear and nasal passages.  If I am correct in my assumptions, Elizabeth went through a period of sensory deprivation, and must retrain all five of her senses, so as not to be overwhelmed by everything around her.  This is what the house-elves are helping her with."

"Sensory deprivation!" Hermione exclaimed, shocked.

"Quite so, Ms. Granger, which is why she has chosen to be isolated."

The intelligent young woman nodded her head in understanding, but still looked concerned.

"Sir?  I know that Harry's vision said that no one was to know about her, except specific people," Hermione began slowly, "but I can't help but feel that isolating Elizabeth in Professor Snape's quarters is not the best solution to helping her recover.  I would like to be able to help in some capacity, or at least keep her company during my free time."

"That is very commendable of you, Ms. Granger, but I must decline your offer."

Hermione made to object, but was stopped by the Headmaster's upheld hand.

"Elizabeth is extremely vulnerable right now, and to draw attention to her presence would be to ask for trouble where it must be avoided.  Because of her current location, if I was to accept your generosity, someone would eventually notice, and begin to ask questions."

"And, sooner or later, the wrong person would find out, right Professor?" Harry said quietly, his eyes locking with those of the Headmaster.

"Correct, Harry."

"But I want to help, sir." Hermione said agitatedly.

"And you may be able to, when Elizabeth feels recovered enough to emerge from her self-imposed isolation.  Remember, she has asked us to help her learn magic.  And I personally cannot think of anyone better to assist her in that regard than yourself, Ms. Granger.  If she agrees, would you be willing to do so, when the time comes?"  Dumbledore smiled softly at her.

Hermione beamed at him and nodded enthusiastically. 

"I'll help too, sir!" Harry chimed in.

"Me too!" Ron chirped.

His two friends stared at him, blinking owlishly.

"Uh…well…maybe I can just sit on the sidelines and cheer her on," the redhead said sheepishly, knowing that, since he wasn't that good of a student, he probably wouldn't be that good of a good teacher.

Dumbledore chuckled.  "It is good to see you are all eager to help our mysterious guest, but we will see, when the time comes."

Three 'Yes, sirs' were spoken, and the trio said their good-byes, leaving the Headmaster's office.

**************************************

Snape quietly entered his private quarters, just in time to see two house-elves cleaning up the remains of the young woman's dinner.  

Unlike the meal served to the rest of the castle's inhabitants, the food given to the young woman was beyond definition, resembling a bowl of grey mush.  To Snape, it was understandable that Elizabeth's palate would also be sensitive, thereby necessitating bland food, but he crinkled his nose at the faint aroma of boiled roots.

Ignoring the quiet ministrations of the house-elves, the dark-haired potions master made his way to his desk, dropping off the transformed book bag.  Emptying it of its contents, he contemplated the selection before him, and quickly made his choice.

Untying the twine from around the chosen books, he plucked up the first one, and made his way to his favorite chair in front of the fireplace.  Getting comfortably settled, he opened the book to the first page, briefly scanning the contents.

Clearing his throat, he began, "When Mr. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced that he would shortly be celebrating his eleventy-first birthday…"

It didn't take long for the potions master's voice to relax into a richly pleasant lilting tone, which melded nicely with the warmth of the room.

Fifteen minutes later, Snape was pleased to note that Elizabeth had turned her face in his direction, cocking her head slightly as she listened. 

****************************************

It had been two weeks with no noticeable change.  Snape was beginning to wonder if Elizabeth would ever remember how to communicate, but continued to read to her for a couple of hours each night, stopping when either his voice became strained, or when the young woman became visibly tired. 

Though concerned that his own efforts were for naught, he was fascinated with the process the house-elves were using to retrain Elizabeth's other senses.  

Though quite by accident, it was inevitable that Snape would eventually be in the same room during the day, when the house-elves were helping the young woman.  Slowly and methodically, the elves would work with her on one sense at a time – slowly reducing the amount of substance in her nostrils and ears, then introducing aromas and sounds that ranged from gentle and quiet to slightly sharp (aroma) and just above normal level (sound), introducing a variety of textures and pressure to various parts of her body, and giving her objects to hold and squeeze, either with her hands wrapped or exposed.  The food Elizabeth was served had progressed to the more palatable, yet was still fairly bland.

The one thing he had not seen, though, was how the house-elves were helping with her sight.  Listening to their soft chatter, Snape was under the impression that this involved a pitch black room, and the lighting of a few (dimmed) candles, but they were not pleased with how that was progressing, and were trying to think of alternatives to this method.

All in all, things were progressing slowly but surely…all except her communication skills.

Feeling a little defeated, Snape sat in his chair, his hands fiddling with the second book, of which they were well over half-way through.  Though it had become a pleasant habitual repast, he couldn't help but wonder if he was doing something wrong – though how a person could read out loud incorrectly was beyond him.

He sighed, opening the book to where he had left off.  Looking at the young woman who patiently waited for him to begin, he softly said, "I wish you would say something," then began to read.

Elizabeth must have had a rough day – she didn't last much over an hour, before she began to look tired.

When two house-elves popped into the room to help the young woman prepare for bed, the potions master placed a marker in the book and closed it, knowing they were done for the evening.

As the two elves levitated the young woman to a standing position, the dark-haired man stood and began to make his way to his desk, but stumbled to a halt as he heard a soft voice whisper.

"Severus."

****************************************************

Not quite believing what he had heard, Snape stood stock still.  Slowly turning around, he looked at the young woman standing silently before him.

Staring at her, he cocked his head slightly in question.

His patience was rewarded when the young woman softly said, "Severus…good… night."

Giving him a small smile, Elizabeth allowed the house-elves to lead her to the tapestry which covered the doorway to her sleeping chambers, and quietly disappeared behind it.

Snape stood gob-smacked for several moments, before a wide smile crossed his face.  If anyone had been there to see it, they would have been amazed how the years dropped off his face with the expression.  Of course, that would have been right before he hexed them off the face of the earth for even being there.

With steps made lighter by his success in getting Elizabeth to speak, Snape exited his private quarters, and swiftly made his way to the Headmaster's office.

**************************************************

_SLAM!_

"She spoke, Albus!"

"Come in, Severus.  Would you care for some tea?"

It seemed that, no matter what mood the potions master came in to the Headmaster's office with, he was always greeted the same way…with an offer of tea.  It must be said that it was lucky Snape was a tea-loving Brit, or Dumbledore would have been stabbed with a tea-leaf strainer a long time ago.

"No."  Snape said abruptly, "Didn't you hear what I said?!  She spoke!"

"That is good news, Severus.  What did she say?" Dumbledore gave him a smile, fixing up a cup of tea for him anyway.

"She said my name, then said good night, just before she went to her bedchambers."  The potions master gave him a triumphant smirk at the fact that the first word the young woman spoke was his name.

"That is very good news, to know that she spoke words in a way that showed she understood the context also."  Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling.

"I know it's not much, but it's a start."  Snape spoke with an enthusiasm that the Headmaster had never seen in his potions master before.  "I wonder how fast she will progress, now that she's spoken her first words?  I wonder if I should design a training regimen to help her communicate, depending on certain situations?"

The potions master trailed off, his thoughts racing.

Dumbledore chuckled.  "Severus, Severus…Rome was not built in a day.  Let her take her time.  Elizabeth will progress at her own pace, and pushing her may actually set her back."

Snape frowned, "But…"

"My dear boy, Elizabeth has given you the first indication that she is ready to communicate."  Dumbledore smiled at him gently.  "Ask her simple questions that require simple answers.  Do not overwhelm her with trivialities such as knowing how to ask someone to pass the salt."  

The dark haired man sighed, his enthusiasm deflating slightly.  "Very well, Albus, I will attempt to keep things slow.  I just wish she would progress at a faster pace, so we can find out why she's here."

"That day will come soon enough, Severus.  And we will have you to thank for it."

The potions master gave him a small, but genuine, smile.  Bidding the Headmaster a good evening, he left.

"Well that was…interesting."  An amused voice drifted from the sitting room behind Dumbledore's desk chair.  "I've never seen Severus so enthusiastic about _anything.  And I was under the impression that he preferred women who _don't_ talk."_

Dumbledore chuckled.  "I too am surprised at his enthusiasm, Minerva, considering his initial reaction to having the young woman chose him as her protector."

Smiling, the Deputy Headmistress emerged from the shadowed sitting room, carrying the book she had been reading in the quiet recess.

"You have to wonder, though, if his enthusiasm will continue once she begins to speak in full sentences…at length."

The Headmaster outright laughed at that.  "She is a young, beautiful woman – I would not be surprised if her personality leaned towards the energetic.  It will be interesting to see how they will get along when she is fully recovered."

"She's going to drive him up the wall."  Minerva grinned evilly.

Uproarious laughter could be heard from the Headmaster's office, if you were close enough.

********************************************

Harry was worried.  Frightened, even.

He glanced down at the sealed letter in his hand, the fourth of its kind in the last week and a half.  He didn't know what to do.  So, he consulted the one person he knew who could help see the situation from every angle at times like this.

"Hermione?"

Tucked away in a corner of the Gryffindor common room, the young girl raised her head from the book she was reading.  

"Yes, Harry?"

"Um, I need your help with something."  Harry fidgeted where he stood, before sitting abruptly in the matching armchair near his friend.

Hermione took in his nervous countenance, narrowing her eyes at the closed envelope Harry was fiddling with.

"What is it, Harry?  Bad news?"

"What…oh…uh, no.  Well, yes and no."  Harry sighed before running a hand through his already messy hair.  

Hermione waited patiently as she watched her friend struggle to come out with whatever was bothering him.

"Harry…" she began gently.

"Snuffles wants me to give this to _her."  Harry blurted out, thrusting the closed envelope towards Hermione._

Confused, Hermione took the envelope, which had Elizabeth's name carefully written on it.

"So what's the problem?" she asked, puzzled.

Harry drew out three other closed envelopes from his robes, and silently handed them over to Hermione, his face pale.

"And that's only been in the past week and a half." Harry said shakily.

Hermione's face paled at the implication.  "That idiot!"

With that outburst, the young woman jumped out of her seat, envelopes in hand, letting her book fall carelessly to the floor.  Grabbing Harry's wrist, she yanked him out of the matching chair and pulled him behind her as they exited the Gryffindor Tower.

Never letting him go, Hermione dragged Harry straight to the Headmaster's office, sharply giving the password to the guarding gargoyle.  Harry desperately attempted to keep his feet under him, as his friend took the stairs two at a time in her haste.

Knocking a sharp staccato on the door, she entered after hearing a faint 'Come in', yanking a hapless Harry behind her.

"Good evening, Ms. Granger, Mr. Potter.  What may I help you with this evening?"  The Headmaster smiled at the pair, eyes twinkling at Harry's dishevelment.

Not trusting herself to speak, Hermione placed the four envelopes in front of the Headmaster, letting go of Harry's wrist in the process.

Picking them up, Dumbledore's smile gradually faded as he shuffled through them.  A grim frown on his face, he asked, "How long has this been going on, Harry?"

"I-in the past eleven days, sir." Harry answered, then blurted out, "And he also asked me if I could find out when she was alone during the day, so he could talk to her through the floo."

Hermione looked shocked.  "Is he _trying_ to get caught?!"

"I don't know what to do!  I wrote back to Sirius, telling him how dangerous it was to send owls so often, but he won't listen to me!  If he gets caught, the Ministry of Magic will give him the Dementor's kiss for sure.  I can't lose him, sir!"

Shaken, Harry sat down heavily in one of the chairs in front of the Headmaster's desk, dropping his head into his hands.

Dumbledore stood, dropping the letters back on his desk.  Maneuvering around the desk, he placed his hands on the young boy's shoulders.

"I will take care of this, Harry.  Do not worry yourself," he said gently.  "If necessary, I will take strict measures to ensure that he cannot communicate with anyone but myself."

Harry looked up and gave him a relieved look.

"Thank you, sir."

It was a quiet pair that left the Headmaster's office.

Once they were gone, the Headmaster moved towards the fireplace.  Picking up a tin of powder, he tossed some into the blazing fire and spoke two words, "Remus Lupin."

****************************************

_Dear Harry,_

_I hope everything is going well with the Tri-wizard Tournament, and that you are well prepared for the second task._

_By request of the Headmaster, I have taken care of your canine problem.  After much chastising, I believe I have trained Snuffles to understand that it's not mating season right now.  _

_You may want to change his name to Spot, to match the dark circle around his eye._

_Yours affectionately,_

_Moony_

_P.S.  I've threatened to take him to the pound to have him snipped if he doesn't behave.  Let me know if you have any more trouble._

Harry laughed.  Catching Hermione's attention he handed her the letter.  She giggled after reading it.

"What's going on?"  A confused Ron asked.

Quickly explaining in hushed tones, Harry gestured to Hermione to hand his red-headed friend the letter.  A moment later, Ron's face matched his hair, as he laughed hysterically, occasionally stuttering out 'mating season' and 'snipped' as he rolled on the floor.

His friends laughed at his antics, drawing bemused stares from the other Gryffindors.

**********************************************

Snape sighed.  He couldn't concentrate on marking the fifth year essays before him, even though he took great pleasure in ripping apart Potter's papers.  No, he kept thinking about _her_.

After the first time she spoke, Elizabeth slowly, _very_ slowly, began to use more words, as they became understandable to her.  To say the least, Snape was pleased.

Oh, she wasn't speaking anywhere _near fluently, and he would have been appalled at the disjointed sentences in anyone else, but it was progress for Elizabeth._

Sighing again, Snape gave up trying to work.  Gathering up the scrolls, he placed them in his bag.  Glancing at the clock, he noticed it was a good 2 hours before his and Elizabeth's usual reading time.  

Deciding to forgo eating in the main hall, as he wasn't particularly hungry, he made his way to his private chambers.

Upon entering his quarters, he headed directly to his desk, dropping off the bag, before turning his gaze towards Elizabeth's usual place by the fire.  Frowning, he noticed she was missing from the large cushion (which he had transfigured from the many small cushions after one of them got too close to the fireplace and almost caught fire).

Looking around, he didn't see her anywhere in the living quarters.  Thinking she had just stepped into her bedchambers for a moment, he took the time to remove his outer robe, and hang it up.  

Calling up a house-elf, he ordered a light meal, and settled in to wait for Elizabeth's return.  A half hour passed, and Snape had finished his meal.  Concerned that the young woman still had not returned, he made his way towards the tapestry covered doorway of her bedchambers.

He called her name softly.  Receiving no response, he moved the tapestry aside and stepped cautiously into the room, calling her name a little louder.

Again there was no response.  The potions master began to worry, then panic as he saw no one in the room.

_'I've lost her!'_

He rushed back through the living area to his own bedchambers, on the off-chance that she was in there.  Empty.  

Frantic now, he rushed back into Elizabeth's room, searching for any clue as to her whereabouts.  As his eyes anxiously roamed around the room, Snape noticed a door he hadn't seen before in his frenzy.  It was tucked away in a darkened corner, unremarkable in appearance.

Quickly making his way to it, he pulled his wand out, unsure of what was behind it, but positive that the doorway hadn't been there before.  Slowly turning the knob, he softly pushed the door open, and side-stepped in as soon as the opening was wide enough.

Swiftly scanning the mid-sized room for any danger, his eyes locked on the figure in the middle of the room.  He froze, stunned at the sight.  

There, in the middle of the room, sitting on a short stool with her back towards the door was Elizabeth…nude.

Unable to remove his gaze, he fell staggeringly back against the wall.  

Several small elves moved slowly around her, humming exquisitely as they washed her gently with small wet cloths.

Snape's eyes followed the movement of one elf, as it stroked the cloth down one of the young woman's outstretched arms.

_Stroke.___

_._

_._

_Stroke._

_._

_._

_Stroke._

He stared at the hypnotic movement, his eyes following the path of the cloth from shoulder to wrist, and over again.

His intent look was only broken when another elf, standing on a stool, poured a small bucket of water over Elizabeth's head, which was slightly tilted back.

Watching the rivulets of water stream down her shapely back, Snape began to breathe heavily as the last droplets flowed down her spine to her well-formed…

_Crash!_

In his rush to escape the room, Snape ran into the partially opened door, causing it to shoot open and crash against the wall.  

Clutching his bruised shoulder, the dark-haired man fled to a safer room…far on the other side of the castle and up six floors.

Back in the bathing room that Snape deserted so quickly, Elizabeth's lips twitched in amusement, until she gave up the fight and laughed softly…for a long time.

*************************************************

_*FLASH*_

'I know what you're after!'  

A large old book with the word "VAMPYR" written in gold leaf on the front cover was placed before her.  

'That's not what I'm looking for.'

'Are you sure?'

_*FLASH*_

'Who are you?'

'Let's just say... I'm a friend.'

'Yeah, well, maybe I don't want a friend.'

'I didn't say I was yours.'

_*FLASH*_

'I'm sixteen years old. I don't wanna die.'

_*FLASH*_

You're the one that sets me free! (gloats) If you hadn't come, I couldn't go. (whispers) Think about that!'

She froze with fear. The Master waits a moment longer and then bends down and bites her at the base of her neck. He drinks a few sips and lets her go.

She fell to her knees, then fell face down into the pool of water.

_*FLASH*_

'I love you. I try not to, but I can't stop.'

'Me, me, too. I can't either.'

They start to kiss. After a moment he breaks off.

'Maybe we shouldn't...'

'Don't. Just kiss me.'

_*FLASH*_

'What's happening?'

'Shh. Don't worry about it.'

She brushes her fingers over his lips and across his cheek. She lays her hand on his cheek and kisses him softly. He returns the kiss, and it becomes more passionate. Behind them the vortex has grown to about five feet across and continues to get larger. She breaks off the kiss and looks deeply into his eyes.

'I love you.'

'I love you.'

She touches his lips with her fingers again.

'Close your eyes.'

She nods reassuringly, and he closes his eyes. She tries hard not to start crying, and kisses him again gently. She steps back, draws back her sword and thrusts it into his chest. His eyes whip open in surprise and pain, and a bright light emanates from the sword. She steps away from him. He reaches out to her and looks down at the sword thrust completely through him. He looks at her imploringly, completely bewildered by this turn of events. She can only stare at the sword protruding from his chest, and slowly steps further back.

'Buffy...'

.

.

.

.

Elizabeth woke up abruptly, shooting up to a sitting position, sobbing, "Nooooooo!"

********************************************

It was a much calmer Severus Snape that entered his private quarters, after avoiding it for the past five hours.

Quietly entering, he was relieved to notice that Elizabeth had already retired for the night, and softly tip-toed towards his bedchamber.

His stealthy steps were abruptly halted when he heard a loud sobbing 'Nooooooo!'

Whipping out his wand, he raced towards Elizabeth's bedchambers, tossing aside the tapestry.  Quickly scanning the room, he saw nothing that would constitute a threat, only the young woman sitting up, sobbing into her hands.

Putting away his wand, he made his way over to the bed, and gingerly sat down.  Unsure of what to do, he softly called her name.

At the sound of his voice, Elizabeth launched herself at him, grasping the front of his robes, softly crying into them, whispering 'No, no, no…'

Perplexed, Snape hesitantly rubbed her back with gentle strokes, and attempted to get her to tell him what was wrong, but Elizabeth wouldn't respond.  Eventually, she cried herself out, and became quiet.

Snape noticed that she had fallen asleep, and gently laid her back upon the bed, covering her with the blankets.

Looking down upon the sleeping woman, he saw lines of strain creasing her brow and eyes, and wondered what could have caused her breakdown.

"She is 'membering."

Snape's head whipped up, only to see that several house-elves had somehow snuck into Elizabeth's bedchambers without him noticing.

"Remembering what?"

"Her life before Forever."  Dobby looked sadly at Elizabeth's tear-streaked face.

"What was her life like, that it should cause her to cry with such pain?" Snape couldn't help but be curious, but knew that it was unlikely that he would get a detailed answer.

"Very, very hard, with lots of pain and hurt."  The house-elf gently stroked the young woman's hair.  "Master Snape must not talk about it to Lady Elizabeth.  She will speak when ready."

Dobby gave him a sad look, and disappeared, as did the rest of the house-elves.

"Who _are_ you?"  Snape whispered, giving the young woman a piercing look.

He shook his head in bewilderment, then left Elizabeth to her sleep.  There was lot to think about.

***************************************************

She was beginning to look tattered…or at least her clothing was (if you could call it that).

It began to bother Snape, a lot – especially when the knot of fabric at Elizabeth's shoulder slipped off again, reminding him of the embarrassing episode in her private bathing room.

"Oh for God's sake…DOBBY!"  Snape called out loudly for the house-elf, who appeared quickly.

"Whats can Dobby do for you, Master Snape?" 

"Elizabeth's outfit is atrocious!  Have you no other clothing for her?"

Dobby shook his head, dropping his gaze in embarrassment.  "We's have no clothing that will fit her…'cept socks."

"Have you no other fabrics to make her some clothes either?"  Snape glowered at the drooping elf.  "I'm sure you can steal someone else's curtains if you wanted to."

Dobby cringed at the word 'steal', saying, "Master Dumbalee-door mades us promise not to take more fabrics."

The small elf then perked up, "Buts we's can gets some silk for Master Snape, but its will nots be fabric silk, but the house-elves can makes it into fabrics.  Would you's likes some silk, Master Snape, sir?"

Snape almost went into convulsions at the small house-elf's atrocious grammer, but was able to control his response to a minor twitch.

"Yes, that will be acceptable.  How soon will you be able to acquire it?"

"We's can gets the silk today.  We can makes the fabrics for tomorrow."  Dobby looked at him hopefully.

"Very well.  I will see to acquiring a seamswitch to make Elizabeth some new clothes."

Dobby perked up at that.  "Oh!  Thank you's, sir.  Thank you's!"

The annoying house-elf disappeared on his errand, leaving Snape to, once again, watch as Elizabeth adjusted the knot back onto her shoulder.  She gave him a small knowing smile, causing him to flush, then scowl.

"Stop that!" he growled, picking up their book and began to read out loud to her.

*************************************************

"Why are you here, elf?  We have no dealings with your kind," a rumbling voice said from the shadows.

"You's knows why I'm here.  You's have felt _her_ come."  Dobby stood in a small eerie clearing, looking towards the area where the voice came from, but still keeping a close watch around him.

"And what has that to do with us?"

"_She_ has need of your webs."

"And what will we receive in return, elf?  _You_ certainly have nothing we need.  Why should we give you that which provides food for us?"

A large form heaved itself menacingly closer to the small elf.  Several small to mid-size forms scampered around the outskirts of the clearing, making clicking noises, which caused Dobby to tense.

"You's knows what _she is.  You's knows what __she will think you's are."  Dobby gave the dark shadow a knowing look, holding himself with a confidence never seen by wizards or witches._

There was silence for a moment, before the rumbling voice responded, "We do."

"Dobby makes no promiseses, but Dobby will 'slpain to _her 'bouts the gift.  __She may see you's differently, if Dobby tells her where the gift come from."_

A heavy silence greeted him, as the large form contemplated its answer.

"We agree to your request on one condition.  You will ask _her to speak with us in peace, so that we may negotiate a truce with our kind."_

"Dobby will ask her."

Waving one large spindly leg, the massive spider gestured his children to bring the requested webs (silk).  Many spiders of varying sizes brought bits and pieces of webbing into the clearing, dropping it in front of the house-elf, until there was a pile ten times the size of the elf.

Several house-elves popped into the clearing, grabbing armfuls of the webbing, and disappearing again, until it was all gone.

"Dobby thanks you's, Aragog."

"Remember your promise, elf."

"Dobby will."

With that, Dobby disappeared from the clearing.

***********************************************************

Dumbledore arranged for a seamswitch from his extensive family to come to Hogwarts, which ensured that Elizabeth's presence would be kept secret.  The middle-aged woman, Matilda Quarterstaff, almost fainted in ecstasy when she first glimpsed the raw Acromantula Silk, proclaiming it to be very rare because of the risks involved to acquire it.

The Headmaster politely handed his great-great-great-grandniece a handkerchief when she began to drool over the tall stack of fabric, gushing over its no wrinkle, no stain qualities.

It was unfortunate that neither Snape nor Dumbledore had taken measures to ensure that Elizabeth was adequately dressed when she met Matilda, who arrived in Snape's quarters via the inter-castle floo system.

Upon spotting the young woman's appalling garments, she chewed off Snape's ears with her anger, before carefully whisking Elizabeth into her bedchambers.  Chattering non-stop about what she could do with the silk, the seamswitch waived her wand, causing a tape measure to appear, along with a large piece of parchment and a Quick Quill.

As the tape measure zipped around Elizabeth's body, the measurements taken were automatically scribbled onto the parchment.  While this was going on, Matilda rummaged through her carry sack for a variety of booklets on current wizarding fashion.

Pulling them out triumphantly, her face fell when she realized that the young woman would not be able to look at them, not while blindfolded anyway.  Crossing her arms before her, a finger on one hand tapping against her lips, she tried to think of a solution.

With a gleeful 'Ah-ha', and a snap of her fingers, she pulled out her wand. 

"Now just hold still dear, this won't hurt a bit."  With that, Matilda gently tapped the blindfold which covered Elizabeth's eyes.

There was a moment's pause, then the blindfold gradually transformed into an opaque veil, magically attached, which covered most of Elizabeth's face, but left the rest of her head bare.

"Much better, honey.  Now just let me see if I can adjust your view through it.  Let me know if it gets too bright for you dear."  

Matilda began tapping lightly on the veil, waiting for Elizabeth to indicate when to stop.  After the fifth tap, Elizabeth gestured for the seamswitch to stop.

"Your eyes really _are_ sensitive, aren't they, my dear?  Ah, well, this should help with that.  Once you get used to this level of light, you can have Professor Snape adjust it to the next level.  I'll be sure to show him how it's done."

Elizabeth gave her a small smile that showed her delight at being able to see again, but then her face fell.

"What's wrong dear?"  Matilda noticed the change in the young woman's expression.

"H-hide."  Elizabeth swiped her hand in front of her face.

"No, no, my dear.  I can see you quite clearly.  I made the veil so you would only be able to see out to a certain degree, but everyone will still be able to see you.

Elizabeth shook her head in confusion, giving Matilda a sad smile, repeating, "Hide."

Giving her a look of understanding, Matilda said, "Of course, Albus told me that you must remain a secret for now.  Now hold still while I fix this."  Pausing a moment, Matilda gave her a questioning look.  "Do you wish this to include Professor Snape also?"

Elizabeth gave her a confused look.

Matilda gave her a gentle smile, and kept it simple, "Snape, hide?  Snape, no hide?"

The young woman's expression cleared, and she smiled, saying, "Severus, no hide."

************************************************

Snape was never going to live this down if anyone found out.

After a half hour, the seamswitch exited Elizabeth's chambers quite flustered, shaking her head, muttering about using superior fabric for inferior fashions. 

"Professor Snape, you must make Elizabeth be sensible.  As a highly sought professional seamswitch, I cannot stomach using Acromantula Silk to make…to make…._trousers!  It's unthinkable!"  Matilda sputtered, outraged._

Elizabeth had quietly followed the upset seamswitch, and gave the potions master a look of amusement.

Snape looked bewildered, "Why would Elizabeth want trousers?"

"She asked for them!  Most upstanding witches wouldn't even _think of wearing such things!  And _she_ wants to make them out of the Acromantula Silk!"  Matilda looked about ready to cry._

Extremely uncomfortable, Snape floundered.  "Well…um…she _is from the Muggle world, Ms. Quarterstaff.  Things are different there.  Uh...um…what would you suggest?"_

Matilda's tears instantly cleared up, and she gave him a happy smile.  "I would use the Acromantula Silk to make dresses and two or three cloaks.  And if Elizabeth _must_ insist on having trousers, I could use other soft cloths to make them, along with matching shirts.  I'm sure Albus won't mind paying for a few other things. "

"_I_ will pay for Elizabeth's garments, Ms. Quarterstaff, and whatever else she may need.  See to it that you send the bill to my attention."

"Of course, Professor Snape, as you wish.  But now, I need your help in choosing the styles.  Albus is hopeless when it comes to fashion, but being much younger, you _must have a better sense in these matters."_

Matilda thrust several booklets in front of him, and began chattering about the benefits or drawbacks of certain styles.  Snape's mind whirled in confusion, flushing when specific feminine attributes were mentioned.

After fifteen minutes of this, he interrupted the seamswitch's monologue, flustered.

"I have no idea what you're speaking of, Ms. Quarterstaff.  Choose whichever styles you believe will suit her."

Matilda beamed at the idea of having a free hand with such superior fabric, and had the Quick Quill make notes of the styles she felt would best suit the young woman.

"Now about colors…"

"Green…to match her eyes."  Snape, still flustered, blurted out.

"Yes, yes, green would suit her superbly, but we don't want to make _all_ her garments green.  No, no, we must have a variety of colors, so she can wear them to suit her mood.  Fashion is all about mood, you know."  Seeing the potion master's dazed look, she took pity on him.  "How about I make a couple of the dresses and one cloak green, and I'll choose the rest of the colors."

Snape gave a sharp nod, looking relieved.

"Now about Elizabeth's undergarments…"

Snape let out a small whimper, and fled to a safer room.  Yes, you know where…far on the other side of the castle and up six floors.

"Well I never!"  Matilda said with a clearly fake affronted voice, before turning to the young woman, giving her a mischievous grin.  "I just love doing that to men, especially when they are so obviously uncomfortable."

Elizabeth's shoulders were shaking with silent laughter.

"Now, how about we choose which styles of trousers and shirts you would like.  Contrary to what I said before, I _am_ up to date on the current Muggle styles also – my daughter loves their clothing, and I just_ happen_ to have some of her magg-i-zeens with me."

Wiping the tears of laughter from her eyes, Elizabeth nodded, even though she only understood less than half of what the delightful woman said.

*******************************************************

OK, OK, I know the storyline didn't actually go anywhere, but many of these scenes have been boiling in the back of my head, causing me to laugh out loud at inappropriate moments, and I really wanted to share them with you.  I had planed on writing more scenes into this chapter, but it got quite long with extra scenes that popped into my head at the last moment (e.g. Sirius sending letters to Harry to give to Elizabeth, and Remus Lupin's subsequent letter to Harry).  

To those who are wondering… Yes, there will be an action/adventure plot eventually.  I'm still in the "setting the scene" mode, which will eventually incorporate the Scoobies.  I don't think the major action/adventure plot will actually begin until the end of Harry's 4th year, and the next several chapters will encompass mostly "meeting people", more "getting to know you"s, some "confrontations", and very few answers for poor Dumbledore.

I hope you liked it.  :)

Some of you may think I'm portraying Snape "out of character" in this chapter, but I'd like to believe that his reactions these types of situations would be very similar to how I've written them.  You have to remember that, while he interacts with the other professors (female ones included), he _is a solitary person, and has been for a while – It's unlikely that he would feel anywhere _near_ comfortable when dealing with female stuff (think Xander and "the tampon" in one of the BtVS episodes).  Don't worry though, Snape will get back into his "snarky git" character soon enough…you can only embarrass someone so much, before they become blasé about it.  And you __know how Snape likes to be in control.  :)_

Some of what's up next: (and this may change)  Elizabeth gets her new clothes, Snape finds out a little more about his mysterious flat mate, Elizabeth makes her first venture out of Snape's private quarters, I think she may also get her wand, and it may be possible that Draco Malfoy makes an appearance (if the chapter doesn't go on too long taking care of the other stuff an any extra scenes that may pop into my head).


	7. Timing Is Everything, It’s Not Always Ab...

Note to Reader's, The Full Title is:

When It's Time to Change, You've Got to Re-Arrange, Who You Are and What You're Gonna Be  

(The title also end's with a lot of Sha na na's, and if you understand this, you've must be as old as I am.  LOL)

A/N:  I think I took so long updating the last chapter that I lost most of my reviewers.  *pout*  Hello?  Are you still out there?  Feed the author?  I promise that I don't bite.  :) 

Thank you to those who did review…you don't know how wonderful your comments make me feel!!  Keep them coming'!!  

I've left the major Author's Notes for the end, just so you didn't have to wait for the story.  Aren't I nice?  :)

Enjoy!

A/N 2:  Sorry, not an update.  This reposting is just to fix a snafu caught by Frolicking_Nomad on its first posting.  I finished up really late at night, and was thinking about the story's future segue into the OotP timeline, that I made the error of putting the Golden Trio in fifth year classes in this chapter.  It's fixed now.  Good catch Frolicking_Nomad!

**Timing Is Everything, It's Not Always About Trust**

_The chief lesson I have learned in a long life is that the only way to make a man trustworthy is to trust him; and the surest way to make him untrustworthy is to distrust him and show your distrust. _

**_Henry L. Stimson (1867 - 1950)_**__

_'Like HELL he would let her drive him out of his own quarters!!'_

Snape paced back and forth across the abandoned tower, having to shorten his stride in order to get a good stalk in the small room.

_'Prancing around half-nude, talking about underthings!  She's doing it on purpose, I know it!'_

He paused in his step.

_'OK, she didn't actual **talk** about underthings, it was that other infernal woman…but I know she had something to do with it!'_

Resuming his pacing, he began muttering under his breath.

"Should I have a room made up here for you specially, Severus?  You seem to be spending an inordinate amount of time in this tower."  Dumbledore entered the small room, eyes twinkling.

Snape glared at him, then stomped over to one of the small windows, turning his back on the irritating man.

"Oh come now Severus, has it been that long, that you've forgotten how women enjoy making men uncomfortable?"

The dark-haired man gave a heavy sigh, his shoulders drooping, as he placed a hand on the window sill and looked out upon the grounds.

"It has, Albus.  Near eighteen years I would think.  I have forgotten how to deal with them."

The Headmaster made his way over to the window, and stood companionably next to the younger man.

"Then let me tell you a secret, Severus.  A woman who is polite and correct in your presence, shows only that she thinks very little of you as an individual.  Whereas, a woman who gently teases and tries to make you respond in some manner, shows that she holds you in warm regard."  Dumbledore pat his arm in comfort.  "Women, on the most part, are difficult creatures to understand, Severus.  When relating to them, remember that they are full of emotions, and do what they can to invoke a response…especially in those who pride themselves in their control, such as yourself."

With one last pat on the younger man's arm, the Headmaster left him to his contemplation.

*******************************************

It was a quiet man that entered his quarters a couple hours later.  Though Snape had spent much time in thought, he couldn't honestly say what he actually thought about.  The Headmaster had unsettled him in implying that Elizabeth was showing that she "held him in warm regard" by teasing him.

Looking over at the fireplace, he saw that Elizabeth quietly sat upon her cushion, gazing into the fireplace with a content expression on her face.  

Taking a quick glance at the clock on the mantle, Snape could see that it was well past the time that he normally started reading to her.

He hesitated a moment, but then made his way to his chair, face expressionless.  Sitting, he picked up their book from the side table, and opened it to the marked page.

A small hand gently touched his knee, and he looked up to see Elizabeth looking at him with a sad smile.

She licked her lips, then slowly spoke, "Severus…I…sorry."

Snape's expression softened, and he softly said, "Apology accepted," then began reading.

******************************************************

It was with great relief that some of Elizabeth's new wardrobe arrived three days later, as the slipping knot was driving Snape insane.

On its arrival, Elizabeth swiftly disappeared into her bedchambers, clearly indicating that she too was tired of the same bulky outfit.  The excited chattering, and oo-ing and aw-ing, of the house-elves suggested to Snape that the garments were far superior to the knotted mess of fabric Elizabeth had been wearing for the last three and a half weeks.

Snape's relief was short-lived, though, as a house-elf held aside the tapestry, letting Elizabeth exit her room.  He almost swallowed his tongue.

She stood before him in an emerald-green gown, with an emperor waistline, no sleeves, and its bodice just low enough to show the swell of her breasts.  It was plainly decorated with a silver trim, and draped to the floor, where soft matching slippers peeked out from beneath the hem.  The properties of the Acromantula Silk gave the dress a slight silvery gleam.

She looked like Venus emerging from a sea of green.

Snape opened his mouth to say something, but only a squeak emerged.  Flushing, he coughed, and tried again.

"Well…you must be pleased to have some clothes that actually fit."

Elizabeth arched her eyebrow as if to say _'And?'_

"It's definitely…different from what you were wearing before."  The dark-haired man shuffled, uncomfortable.

Elizabeth frowned, then pouted, giving him her patented 'puppy-dog' eyes.

Squirming more noticeably, Snape sighed, then said, "You look lovely, Elizabeth."

She beamed at him.

Snape scowled.

**************************************************

Elizabeth's progress was going well.  Both her hearing and sense of smell were much closer to normal, though loud noises and pungent aromas still caused her a lot of discomfort – she was also eating more normal foods, though not as spiced as that eaten by the rest of the castle.  The only things still troubling her was touch and sight.

Her eyesight was progressing a lot faster than before, with the help of a veil that Matilda sent along with the first delivery of dresses.  Using the same concept as the transfigured blindfold, the light setting could be adjusted with a few taps of a wand, but would _very slowly_ progress to a slightly brighter setting throughout the day, allowing for Elizabeth's eyes to gradually get used to the knew brightness.  In addition, as only a fashion expert would think of doing, she only had to touch the veil to an article of clothing, and it would match the color.  Elizabeth was ecstatic.

As for her sense of touch, she was able to handle a wide variety of textures with her hands, but pressure on other parts of her body was still giving her problems, as discovered when she accidentally bumped her arm against Snape's side table – it was, literally, a painful moment.  

Her hands were the only part of her that managed to be more comfortable when dealing with her sense of touch, as holding and gripping items were an extensive part of her 'retraining.'

All in all, Elizabeth was doing well…and becoming bored.

*************************************************

"Potions."

Snape's head popped up, startled.  Giving Elizabeth a confused look, he slowly said, "Yes…that's what I teach."

Elizabeth nodded her head, then lightly tapped her chest, saying, "I…potions."

"I don't understand, Elizabeth.  You, potions, what?"

She cocked her head.  "I…learn."

Snape looked surprised.  "I supposed I could begin teaching you, but I don't think you'll get very far until you learn more words, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth shook her head, repeating, "I…learn."

Shrugging his shoulders helplessly, he could only ask, "How?"

"I…learn…read."  She pointed to the wall behind where Snape was sitting at his desk, where a bookshelf stood, overflowing with a multitude of tomes.  "I…learn…b-by…read…reading."

Snape look pleased.  "Elizabeth, you just said a full sentence!"

She smiled shyly, again pointing at the bookshelf.  "I…learn…by reading.  Potions?... Ch-charms?...Trans…trans…" she broke of, sighing and giving him a small pout.

"Transfiguration."  Snape provided, chuckling at her stumbling over the word.

Elizabeth stuck her tongue out at him, causing Snape to smirk.

"Yes.  I learn by…reading."

"I'm afraid it's not that simple, Elizabeth.  You need a wand to do most of those."

She gave him an exasperated look

"Read…learn." Elizabeth punctuated her words by tapping her forehead, then waving her hand about, said, "Wand…_do_."

She cocked her head at him, willing him to understand as she tapped her chest, then her forehead, saying, "I _learn."_

Snape gave her a piercing look, cocking an eyebrow.  He then turned back to his desk, picking up a fresh piece of parchment and his quill.  Scribbling for a few moments, he then pulled out his wand, and called out Dobby's name.

The small elf appeared instantly, as if he had been waiting for this summons.

"Master Snape needs Dobby?  Whats does Master Snape needs, sir?"  He gave a small wave to Elizabeth, accompanied by a small grin, before snapping his attention back to the potions master.

"I need you to bring this note to Madam Pince in the library, then wait for her to collect the items I've listed here.  Bring them back to my chambers once she gives them to you."

"Yes, sir?  Dobby will go at once!"  With that, the elf disappeared.

It took less than 10 minutes for the house-elf to reappear, carrying a stack of books that was almost as tall as he was.  Carefully setting the stack next to the professor's desk, he stepped back.

"Is thats all Master Snape needs from Dobby, sir?"

"That will be all Dobby.  You may go."

The elf disappeared again, but not before one last wave at Elizabeth, who smiled in return.

Snape levitated the stack of books over to where Elizabeth sat on her cushion.  Kneeling down, he sorted through the books, separating them into three stacks.

Pointing to each, he said, "These are for Charms, those for Potions, and this one for Transfiguration."

Giving him a smile, she repeated the gestures, saying, "Charms, Potions……..stuff."

Snape snorted, lips twitching in a smile.

"Div…in…a…tion?"

He gave her an appalled look.  

"I am _not _teaching you that drivel.  If you want to lear…" Snape broke off, catching sight of her mischievous smile.

"Minx."

Elizabeth laughed softly, then picked up one of the potions books.

Snape stood up, and walked back to his desk.

Looking one more time at the young woman, who had place the book in her lap and was peering intently at the first page, a small smile on her face, he shook his head in amused exasperation.  

Sitting, he picked up a quill, and returned to his work.

*******************************************

_*FLASH*_

"Does it ever get easy?"

"You mean life?"

"Yeah. Does it get easy?"

"What do you want me to say?"

(She looks up at him)  "Lie to me."

_*FLASH*_

 "Oh, why can't you people just leave me alone?"

"Because you are the Slayer."

_*FLASH*_

"You can't do it. You can't kill me."

She turns her back on him and walks away.

"Give me time."

_*FLASH*_

"Why did you come here?! This wasn't your fight!"

She punches him in the jaw, and he spins and falls to the pavement.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"

She begins to cry and crouches down to hug him. He cries and hugs her back.

"You can't leave me. I can't do this alone."

_*FLASH*_

"What is Hell but the total absence of hope? The substance, the tactile proof of despair."

_*FLASH*_

"Who are you?  How could you do this to me?"

"I am deeply sorry, (reaches out to her) and you have to understand..."

She backs away and warns him off with her hand.

"If you touch me, I'll kill you."

_*FLASH*_

She breaks the dark-haired girl's grip and plunges the knife into her abdomen. Both of them looked stunned for a moment. 

The dark-haired girl spoke weakly, but was smiling.  "You did it."

The dark-haired girl tosses the blond-haired girl away from her. 

"You killed me."

_*FLASH*_

"You are the Chosen One."

_*FLASH*_

"You are the Slayer."

_*FLASH*_

"Death is your gift."

.

.

.

.

Elizabeth screamed.

*********************************************************************

Snape jumped up from his chair, running towards the tapestry that covered Elizabeth's bedchamber.  Roughly pushing it aside, he rushed in, wand raised.

Elizabeth was sitting up, her bedcovers pooled in her lap, eyes wide, staring at nothing.  Tears streaked down her face.

"What is it Elizabeth?  What's wrong?"  Snape asked, rushing over to her bed, then sitting on it's edge.

"D-death...kill…lie to me…don't leave me… d-death…death…don't leave me…" the young woman stuttered, shaking.

"Wha…?"

Elizabeth turned her unseeing gaze towards the dark-haired man.

"D-death is…is my gift."

After saying that, the young woman's eyes fluttered, and she passed out, falling back upon her pillows.

"Elizabeth?  Elizabeth?"  

Snape reached out, gently picking up her hand.  Checking for a pulse, he noted that it was beating rapidly, but was showing signs of slowing to normal.  

As he stretched a hand out to gently stroke her hair, he noticed that several house-elves had, once again, appeared in Elizabeth's bedchambers.

"Is she remembering again?  Does she remember nothing of her life before?"  Snape asked the small creatures.

It was Dobby who answered.

"She 'members nothing.  She is 'membering now.  Soon she will 'members all."

"Did she have _no_ happiness in her life before, Dobby?  Her memories seem to bring nothing but pain and sadness…it makes me think that she would be better off _not_ remembering."  Snape stroked her hair again.

"She _must_ 'members all, or she will nots be able to helps save us."

Snape looked at the small house-elf sharply, but didn't ask any more questions.

******************************************************

"Oh, crikey.  She's color-coding again, Harry.  Should we make a run for it?"

Ron had turned his attention away from his chess match with Harry, only to notice the parchment with brightly colored dots that Hermione was working diligently on. 

Harry's head popped up from where he was concentrating on his next move.  Looking over at the paperwork spread out in front of his female friend, his eyes widened at the sheer number of dots covering the grids drawn on each of them.

"Whoa, Hermione, I hope that's not a study schedule for us, or we won't be getting any sleep for the next five months!"

Hermione's head lifted up from her work.  She gazed at him blankly for a moment, before his words caught up with her.

"What?  Oh…no…this isn't for us."

"Whew…for a moment, I thought I was going to have to hex you for even _thinking_ that we would study that much."  Ron gave her a cheeky grin.

She frowned at him, before tartly saying, "It would do you some good if you studied even a fraction of the time listed here.  O.W.L.s are only a year away you know."

Harry rolled his eyes, sighing heavily at what he knew was the start of another "studying vs. having fun" argument.  Not wanting to hear it again, he interrupted before it even _started_ to get out of hand.

"OK you two, before I have to start taking bets for round seven thousand four hundred and three, why don't you tell us what the study grid is for, Hermione."

Hermione and Ron broke off their glaring match.  The young woman looked around nervously, but before she began her response, Harry held up his hand.

"Just by your look, I think I can guess _who it's for, Hermione, so just tell us __what it's for."_

Giving a small glare at Ron, she nodded at Harry.  She pulled out her wand, and put a silencing spell around the trio, just in case Ron accidentally shot off at the mouth, like he often did.

"Sorry, I thought I should do that in case one of us slips.  I know we're not supposed to speak of this outside the Headmaster's office, but explaining what I'm doing can be done without mentioning certain things."

Harry nodded his head in understanding.

"I was just told that someone began to speak recently, and is making leaps and bounds with both speech and other aspects.  I thought I should start putting together a list of things to teach, taking into account limited speech, simpler understanding, and limitations of other senses."

While Hermione was talking, Ron had picked up one of her parchments, and was scanning its contents.

"Blimey, Hermione, isn't this a bit much, especially as she's a beginner too?!"  Ron waved a hand at the brightly spotted scroll.  "I mean, you've got her learning _everything_ we learned in first year in the first two weeks!"

Hermione snatched the parchment from his hand, giving him an exasperated look.

"I do not!  For your information, this grid is _not_ a calendar.  The boxes are just to put similar spells, charms, and other things into the same learning period.  It wouldn't be prudent to have her learn things that have different theoretical backgrounds, or it will confuse her mindset when performing the spells.  One of these boxes will span two to three weeks, not_ one day!  The color codes are for what _types_ of spells, such as charms or transfiguration."_

"I think it's a great idea Hermione."  Harry placed a hand on her shoulder, slightly squeezing it to show his support of her efforts.  

She beamed at him.  Ron scowled.

"Could I give you a couple of suggestions though?"  Harry hesitated to ask, but figured Hermione would appreciate his criticism if it was constructive.

"Of course, Harry."

"Well…First, I think Professor Snape will probably take care of teaching her potions, so you could probably leave that out of your lesson plan.  Second, I think you should limit the subjects to just the practical ones, like Charms, Transfigurations, and DADA – I don't think she'll be ready for Astronomy or Arithmancy, if she is still relearning how to speak," Harry said kindly.  "You also might want to include learning about Magical Creatures, but leave out the actual 'Care of'…I don't think she's ready to meet a blast-ended skrewt."

Harry's eyes were twinkling in humor as he gave his friend a quirky grin.  Hermione giggled and nodded her head, before scribbling his suggestions on another parchment, so she could make changes later.

"I have a suggestion too, Hermione," Ron said, an uncharacteristically serious look on his face.

Hermione gave him a dubious look, but gestured for him to continue.

"Well, you need to remember that her eyesight is really sensitive.  You might want to tone down the colors, or you'll blind her with this many dots," Ron said, his lips twitching.  

"Ron!"

Harry burst into laughter as the usually calm and collected Hermione grabbed a cushion and began to beat a laughing Ron over his head.

******************************************************

"She dreams of death, Albus."

The Headmaster watched as his potions master paced in front of his desk, a cup of tea lay forgotten before him.

"The house-elves told you she remembers nothing of her past?" Dumbledore inquired softly.  "Could this be why Dobby wouldn't reveal anything about her?"

"I don't believe so, Albus.  I get the impression that her identity must remain hidden until she is fully recovered.  Even should Elizabeth remember everything now, I don't believe we will be told until she is able to protect herself.  Protect herself how, or from what, I couldn't even begin to guess."

Snape collapsed in one of the chairs in front of the Headmaster's desk, leaning his head tiredly against the back.  Dumbledore waited patiently for him to continue.

"Her memory is coming back to her in dreams, and she dreams of death, Albus!"  The dark-haired man closed his eyes, clutching the arms of the chair.  "She repeated the word death at least three times, said kill at least once, also something about lying to her, and to not leave her."

Dumbledore stroked his beard while he contemplated the words Snape spoke.  Looking at the tired man sitting before him, he could see there was something else that bothered the younger man.

"What else, Severus.  I can see something is worrying you."

Snape opened his eyes and sat up straighter.  Leaning forward, he dropped his elbows onto his knees, hands hanging with his fingers entwined with each other.  He bowed his head for a moment, then looked at the Headmaster before speaking.

"Her eyes, Albus.  Her eyes looked so old…older than even yours.  She is barely older than a child, yet has seen much more than you or I ever have."

Looking away from the knowing blue eyes, Snape took a moment to breath deeply.

"She said 'death is her gift', Albus."

The two men sat in silent contemplation, their thoughts dark.

************************************************************

She was restless.  Her mind was tired, but her body was urging her to do something…anything…to just _move._

It was the middle of the night, when all good children _and adults should be sleeping peacefully in their beds, but her body wouldn't let her._

Elizabeth slid out of bed, her nightgown swirling around her legs, bare feet standing firmly on the cool floor.  Looking around her room, her eyes lit upon the wardrobe that contained her new clothing, the last of which had arrived earlier that day.

Moving to it, she opened it, and gazed upon its contents.  Her eyes settled upon the loose trousers and snug shirts that lay folded on the bottom of the cupboard.  Grabbing one of each, she swiftly changed, laying her nightgown upon the end of the bed.

Moments later, the house-elf Dobby popped into her room.  The small creature smiled at her, and turned to a new door on the other side of her bed.  Shuffling over to it, he reached up to the handle, and turned the knob.  Pushing the door open, Dobby looked back at Elizabeth and waved his hand, gesturing her to follow.

Elizabeth's bare feet made no sound as she gracefully walked to the opened door.  Quietly entering, she noticed the dimly lit candles, whose muted brightness did not bother her unveiled eyes.  

The room was bare of contents and had very little ornamentation.  Elizabeth made her way to the center.  Once she reached the heart of the room, she slowly turned back to face the door.

_'You are the __Chosen__ One.'_

The room filled with many house-elves, quietly settling against the walls or on the few window sills.  They quietly began to hum a soft ethereal tune.  

_'You fight the darkness.'_

_Elizabeth__ closed her eyes…_

_'You are the Slayer.'_

…and began to move.

**************************************************

**"What the hell are you doing?!"**

"Ahh!!"

THUNK!

Elizabeth stared wide-eyed at the dark-haired potions master, clutching a vial to her chest, in order not to drop it in her surprise, as she had done with her book.

Snape stalked over to where the young woman sat in front of an open cabinet.

Kneeling down beside her, he growled, "These are my private potions ingredients, and they are very, very dangerous!  What are you doing in there?!"

Smoothing back a strand of hair behind her ear, she glared at him.  "I am…looking."

"Looking for what?  Your death?!"  Snape glared back.  "Not all of these ingredients are safe to handle!"

"I know!  I only…touch…safe ones.  I only…touch…one at a…time."  Elizabeth stuttered out exasperatedly, showing him the vial of beetle legs she is holding.  "I am not…stupid!"

Her answer startled the potions master, and he looked at her curiously.  "How do you know they're safe?"

Elizabeth gently placed the vial back from where she got it, then picked up the book she had dropped.  Opening it up, she flipped to the page marked "beetle legs", and found the entry for the type of beetle legs the vial held.  Pointing her finger at the paragraph, she indicated the section marked "volatility", under which it read "stable."

Flipping the pages back to the prefaces, she showed Snape the section which gave a description for each volatility level from "inert" to "highly explosive."  

Handing him the book, she stood up in front of the tall cabinet.  Pointing her finger at each shelf, she identified each of them based on their volatility level, the inert ones being on the bottom three shelves, all the way to the high upper shelves which carried the more explosive ingredients.  Her speech had improved greatly since she had begun reading on her own, in addition to the nightly sessions of being read to by the potions master.

Once again pointing to the lower shelves, Elizabeth said, "OK to look and…touch."

Pointing to the middle shelves, she said, "Be very, very…careful."

When she indicated the upper shelves, she shook her head and said, "Do not touch…unless Severus is…here, and says OK."

Elizabeth knelt back down beside Snape who was looking at her in astonishment.

Gently taking the book back from him, she tapped it and said, "Very…good book.  Help to un-under…stand other…potions books."

Snape gave her a small smile, and said, "I know it's a very good book…my great-great grandfather wrote it."

She gave him a questioning look.  "Use in class?"

"No, I don't use it in class…it's not even published.  My great-great grandfather wrote it for his son, just before he entered Hogwarts, to help him succeed in potions class."

Tapping the book, Elizabeth responded, "Publish.  Use in class."  Cocking her head, she gave Snape a mischievous grin.  "Maybe less orange…goo."

She laughed at his affronted look, which eventually made him chuckle also.  It's no surprise that Elizabeth had seen the messy results of several Longbottom fiascos, since they happen so often.  The funny thing is, _all of Longbottom's explosions resulted in an orange colored goo…not blue, not yellow…orange.  And to this day, Snape could__ not figure out why it was always orange._

Still chuckling, Snape said, "It would take a lot of updating, but maybe you're right.  There are several other walking disasters in my classes that could use this kind of help."

Elizabeth grinned and handed him the book back, saying, "Do it…for_ your…safety."_

Snape laughed out loud at that.

Startled at the transformation that laughter made to Snape's face, Elizabeth smiled at him.   Reaching out a hand, she gently touched his cheek.

"You should…laugh more.  It looks…nice."

Stunned by her soft touch, Snape stopped laughing and dropped his gaze.  After a moment, he looked back at Elizabeth with a pained gaze.

"There's not much in my life to laugh about," he said hoarsely.

Giving him a gentle smile, she softly stroked his cheek with her thumb.  "There are many…things to laugh…about.  You just have to…find them."

His eyes softened as he held her gaze.  Giving her a small smile, he took her hand from his cheek and held it in his own.  Lifting it up, he brushed his lips softly across her fingertips.

"You have helped me to find one, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth blushed prettily.  Gently extricating her hand, she turned and closed the cabinet doors.  Gathering her dress in her left hand, she made to stand.

Although he was somewhat embarrassed by his show of gentleness, Snape quickly stood and, holding the book in one hand, he held out the other to Elizabeth to use for leverage. 

Placing her free hand into his, Elizabeth rose from the floor.

"And Elizabeth…I don't think you're stupid," Snape said as turned towards his chair and made to release her hand, but Elizabeth hung on, turning him back with a gentle tug.

"Teach me," she said softly.

"What?"

"Teach me…potions, Severus."

"But you don't have a wand yet, Elizabeth."

"Take me to get a…wand.  Then…teach me."  Elizabeth quietly implored.  

"Are you sure you're ready?"  Snape reluctantly asked, knowing that their quiet time would end at the onset of Elizabeth's lessons.

"Yes, it is time."  Elizabeth gently squeezed his hand.

Snape sighed.  "I will contact the Headmaster then.  We will need to make arrangements in order to make sure no one connects your presence here with the incident in the Great Hall."

Releasing her hand, he made his way to the fireplace.  Picking up a tin of powder, he grabbed a small handful, giving Elizabeth one last look before tossing it into the fire and calling the Headmaster's name.

It only took a moment for the Headmaster to appear.

"Yes, Severus?  What may I do for you?"  Dumbledore smilingly asked.

"It's time, Albus.  Elizabeth has asked to begin her lessons, and she will need a wand first, in addition to school materials of her own."  Snape said neutrally.  "Is there a way to make arrangements for a private appointment with Ollivander and Flourish and Blotts?  We will also need to figure out an excuse for Elizabeth to be here, while not having it known how she actually _did _arrive."

"That _is_ good news, my dear boy.  I will make the appointments as soon as possible.  And I have already been giving Elizabeth's predicament some thought, Severus, and believe that we can have her here under the pretext of needing a place to recover from her ailments.  It is as close to the truth as possible, and will therefore be less likely for someone to inadvertently make an erroneous comment, myself included.  Oh this _is good news!"  Dumbledore clapped his hands in excitement.  "Will she also be ready for Ms. Granger to begin her tuition?"_

"I believe we should start out with having Elizabeth attend a few of my potions classes first, and see how much it tires her.  We can take it from there on her other lessons."  Snape responded.  "Are you sure it is…prudent for Ms. Granger to help, Albus?  She tends to be too inquisitive for her own good, which will not bode well for Elizabeth's current reluctance in revealing her identity."

"I will speak with Ms. Granger and the others, Severus.  Do not worry yourself."  Dumbledore replied in a serious tone.  "Now, I will make an announcement at the mid-day meal tomorrow regarding our guest's 'arrival', and her 'condition', which will hopefully keep the children's and staff's questions to a minimum.  Will you be having Elizabeth attend your first-year classes?"

Snape looked thoughtful for a moment, before answering.  "No, I believe I will have her attend the higher level classes, the morning ones, preferably.  That way I will be able to provide better instruction for her, as those classes require less intense monitoring…_ usually."  He smirked.  "It will also allow Elizabeth to rest for the remainder of the day, should she become tired."_

The Headmaster chuckled.  "Very well, Severus.  I will also try to ensure that those students in your morning classes avoid any…mischief while Elizabeth is in attendance."

"Thank you, Albus." Snape replied, then muttered, "Though I don't believe it will do any good."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.

*************************************************************

_*Tink* *Tink* *Tink* _

"May I have your attention please.  The Headmaster has an announcement to make."  Tapping her goblet, the Deputy Headmistress' voice rang out into the Great Hall.

As the murmuring voices of the children died down, the Headmaster rose from his chair.

"Thank you.  Later this evening, Professor Snape will be bringing a guest by the name of Elizabeth here to Hogwarts.  Miss Elizabeth is recovering from some unfortunate physical ailments, and will be under the care of Professor Snape and Madame Pomfrey.  During her stay, Miss Elizabeth will also be attending some of the morning potions classes.  I would ask those students to try and avoid any mishaps, purposeful or otherwise, as you may inadvertently cause her further injury."  Dumbledore paused to look sternly at the Weasley twins, who nodded their understanding (the Headmaster had _never_ asked them to avoid their pranking, so they took his request seriously).  "While I am not asking that you specifically _avoid Miss Elizabeth, I would ask that you _all_ be considerate and respectful should you happen to be in her presence.  While Miss Elizabeth is recovering quite nicely, her injuries are still in a delicate stage.  That is all for now.  Please enjoy your meals.  _Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang_."_

Harry and Hermione giggled.

"I think Dumbledore has been watching too many Disney programs lately."  Harry said laughingly.

"Quite so."  Hermione responded with a laugh.  "Oh, this is exciting, Harry, Ron!  You know what this means, don't you?"

The three friends grinned at each other, happy to know they were going to be a part of helping someone.  Usually they found things out by accident, and stumbled their way through it, sometimes getting injured in the process.  This time they were actually _invited to help._

As they began to dig in to their meal, one of the school owls flew over Hermione's plate, dropping off a rolled parchment.  Hermione quickly unrolled it and scanned its contents.

_Ms. Granger,_

_Would you, Mr. Potter, and Mr. Weasley please come to my office after your meal to discuss your schedules._

_I will inform Professor McGonagall that you will be late for her class._

_The password is Bit O'Honey._

_Headmaster Dumbledore_

Hermione looked up at the main table.  Seeing the Headmaster looking in their direction, she smiled and nodded her head in answer to his request before returning to her meal, passing the message on to her two friends.

***************************************************************

His living quarters felt empty.

It had only been a few hours since she left, but her absence was already felt. 

To keep up the appearance that Elizabeth would just now be arriving to Hogwarts, Professor Snape had apparated Elizabeth to the entrance of the Leaky Cauldron in the early hours of morning.  Giving her instructions to ask for the room being held for her under the Headmaster's name, and to charge her meals to the room, he left her with a small encouraging smile.

And now his living quarters felt empty.

The dark-haired potions master sighed.  There were still several hours left before he would go to pick up their "guest", and he didn't feel like going to the mid-day meal.  Grabbing one of his potions journals, he sat in his favorite chair.  

Less than 30 minutes later, someone knocked on his portrait.  Knowing it wouldn't be the Headmaster, as he tended to just rap his knuckles on the portrait frame as he walked in, Snape snarled out, "Who is it?"

"It's me, Professor."  A young imperious voice responded.

With a muttered "dammit", the potions master quickly stood and viewed his living quarters.  Swiftly transforming Elizabeth's cushion to a small settee, Snape then flicked his wand to hide the muggle novels and other books high up on his bookshelves.  Taking one last look around, he didn't see any other incriminating evidence of another occupant, other than the hanging tapestry to Elizabeth's sleeping quarters, which could be easily explained away.

Making his way toward the portrait entrance, he flung it opened and glared at the student outside.

"What do you want, Mr. Malfoy?" the dark-haired man snapped.

"Aren't you going to invite me in…sir?" the blond-haired Slytherin responded, raising his eyebrows at his professor's rudeness.

Wordlessly, Snape held open the door, a look of irritation on his face.  Closing the door after the young boy entered, Snape turned, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I ask again, Mr. Malfoy, what do you want?" 

After having given the room a quick glance, Malfoy looked over his shoulder and said, "Your room's bigger, and you have new furniture."

The young man moved forward to sit on the new settee, crossing one leg over the other, and attempted to look authoritative, which is hard to do if your feet don't reach the floor.

"I presume you didn't come here to comment on my accommodations, Mr. Malfoy." Snape sneered.  Unfolding his arms, he walked to his chair and sat.  

Crossing his legs, and placing his arms on the armrests, Snape succeeded in looking authoritative, unlike the young boy sitting across from him.  "I will ask you one last time…what…do…you…want."

"It's rare that the muggle-loving fool invites someone to stay here, if they're not attending the school, or are part of its teaching staff.  Who is the woman that is coming here?" the boy asked demandingly.

"That is none of your concern, Mr. Malfoy."

"My _father_ would be interested in knowing…sir," Malfoy responded sneeringly.  "If the woman was just a recovering patient, she would stay at St. Mungos.  And there was no explanation for her attendance to your potions classes.  This tells me that there is something more to her coming here.  Is she someone powerful?"

Snape gave him a piercing look.  Though it was none of the boy's business, he knew if he didn't answer it would only prompt an unwelcome visit from Malfoy Sr., and they _really _didn't need that right now.

"Not that it is any of your business, Mr. Malfoy, I have no idea if she is powerful, and I have no idea who she is.  I only know of her medical condition, and that her name is Elizabeth.  The reason she is not at St. Mungos is due to the lack of sufficient facilities necessary to her recovery, that is, a dark dungeon in which she could find solitude when needed, while still having access to a certified medi-witch or -wizard.  If you wish to know more, you are welcome to ask the _Headmaster_," he snapped.  "As for her presence in my classroom, her school did not have a proficient potions professor, and she expressed a wish to learn under my tutelage during her stay…that is all."

"What's wrong with her?"  Malfoy leaned forward eagerly with a gleam in his eye, as if he was a vulture circling its victim for the kill.

"Even you should know that someone's medical records are private, Mr. Malfoy.  And regardless of how important you think you _or_ your father are, that type of information cannot be disclosed to anyone but the attending medical staff or the patient themselves."  Snape gave him a serious look, warning him not to press the issue further.  "Now, if that is all Mr. Malfoy?"

Malfoy nodded his head sharply as he stood.  Making his way towards the portrait door, he paused as the dark-haired potions master called out to him.

"And Mr. Malfoy, twenty points from Slytherin."

The blonde-haired youth turned back towards his professor, a look of shock on his face.

"But…"

"You may be my favorite student Draco, but I will _not have you questioning my authority, __nor will I have you making threats to me while you are under my tutelage.  Is that understood, Mr. Malfoy?"_

"Yes, sir," Malfoy said grudgingly.

*******************************************************

"I can't believe the Headmaster asked me not to research something!  He basically told me to leave Elizabeth alone!"

Hermione was almost in tears, as if someone had stolen her favorite book.

"I'm sure he has his reasons, 'Mione."  Harry put a comforting arm around his friend's shoulder.

"But this is the second time that he's refused to let me research a subject!" she wailed, looking up at him, teary-eyed.  "Doesn't he trust me anymore?"

Harry looked surprised for a moment, before a look of realization crossed his face as he remembered what the other subject probably was.

"You know something!  You know why the Headmaster won't let me look at, let alone check out, those books, don't you, Harry?!"  Hermione pushed his arm off her shoulders, and turned towards him, hands on her hips, as she demanded, "Tell me!"

"I-I…can't, Hermione.  I'm sorry."  Harry looked down, shuffling his feet.

Wide-eyed, Ron kept silent, not wanting to get in the line of fire.

"You can't?!  You _can't?!  Don't you mean you ****__won't?!" Hermione yelled, then in a pained whisper, "I thought you were my friend, Harry.  I can't believe you don't trust me either."_

Hermione brushed past him, wiping the tears from her eyes.

For a moment, Harry looked hurt.  Then, his face tightening with anger, he stalked after his friend, Ron trotting silently behind him.  

Grabbing the young woman's elbow in a firm hold, he pulled her into the nearest empty room, which happened to be an old storage area, then released her arm.  After Ron entered behind them he closed the door, then put up the strongest locking and silencing charms he knew.

Harry turned angrily towards the young woman who had crossed her arms and averted her face from him to show her pique.

"You are my _best friend_, Hermione, and this _isn't_ about trust!  Have you ever thought of the danger you could put both myself _and_ Elizabeth in, if you continued your _research_?!"  Harry hissed.

Hermione dropped her arms, looking at him in shock…Harry had _never_ turned his anger on her.  

"In the first place, if even **_you_ don't know a _smidgen about my little display in the restricted section, don't you think that _no one else does either_?!  Voldemort may not _physically_ be around, but he __is around, and so are his __very high-placed and__ extremely powerful supporters!  If word got out about my oh-so-wonderful new talent, don't you think those supporters would step up their efforts in __killing me before I became a further threat?!  Second," Harry continued his tirade, "what if you _did_ find out who or what Elizabeth is?  If word got out about her identity, don't you think those same supporters, or even the __Ministry, would become _too_ interested in her?!  And you know she's too vulnerable to protect herself right now!"_**

"You know I wouldn't say anything to anyone, Harry!"  Hermione responded angrily, her fists tightly clenched at her sides.

"You wouldn't have to…because the school library **_isn't…exactly…private_!!" Harry yelled.**

Looking as if someone had slapped her, Hermione sat down abruptly on an empty crate.

"Harry," Ron placed a hand on Harry's shoulder, trying to calm him.  

Harry's shoulders dropped from its angry stiffness, and he looked over his shoulder and nodded his head in thanks to his red-headed friend.

Moving to kneel in front of his bushy-haired friend, he took her hands in his as he said softly, "All it takes is one person, 'Mione, one Slytherin to notice you checking out every single book on one_ unusual subject, and it wouldn't take a lot of brainpower to make a connection."_

"Oh…Oh God." Hermione whispered.  "I-I didn't think about that."

Rising from his kneeling position, Harry sat down on the crate next to her.  Gathering her in his arms, he softly said, "I know, Herms…but I'm sure Dumbledore did, and that's probably why he's doing this."

Harry gave her a gentle squeeze, then helped her to stand.  "If it's any consolation, I know very little more than you do about my new 'talent', and nothing more about Elizabeth.  So you don't have to worry about me beating you on any tests."

Hermione giggled and swatted his arm.  Harry grinned.

"I'm sorry, Harry.  I didn't mean…" Hermione looked contrite.

"It's all right, Herms.  I'm sorry too."  Harry said.

The two smiled and gave each other a quick hug.

Ron, who had been silent until then, cleared his throat and said, "Well, not to break up this touching moment, but we've already missed half of Transfigurations.  If we want to learn anything today, we better get going."

Harry and Hermione stared owlishly at him.

"OK, OK…I know that I never look forward to classes.  But, I don't want to fail…McGonagall might transfigure me into something really nasty, if I do."

The three of them laughed, and all was right once again with the trio.

************************************************************************

_*Tap*  *Tap*  *Tap* _

"Elizabeth?  It's me, Severus."

He heard a small shuffling noise, then the door creaked open.  When it was wide enough, he stepped through, and turned to see Elizabeth carefully close it without being seen by anyone traversing the hallway.

"Hello, Severus."  The young woman gave him a nervous smile as she smoothed down the folds of her gown.

"Are you ready to go?" Snape asked softly, taking in the tense set of her shoulders.

For a moment she hesitated before giving the dark-haired man a terse nod.

Snape walked over and picked up Elizabeth's cloak and veil.  Handing the young woman the later, he waited for her to adjust it before helping her don the hooded cape, and ensuring that both her features and hair were hidden.

Grabbing the books the young woman had brought to pass the time, he shrunk them and placed them in one of his pockets.  Holding open the door, he gestured her through before exiting himself.

The two descended to the main room of the Leaky Cauldron, where Snape settled the bill, then led Elizabeth to the back of the pub.

Tapping the correct sequence of bricks, he said, "Welcome to Diagon Alley, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth watched in awe as the bricks quivered then rolled back to form an archway through which she could see a cobbled street twisting and turning out of sight.  As she tentatively stepped through, her view widened to take in the small, compact shops – whose wares almost spilled out into the stone pathway.  

While it wasn't crowded, there were still a fair amount of witches and wizards bustling around, and a few shopkeepers called out to them, extolling the quality of their merchandise.  Almost overwhelmed by the sights and sounds, Elizabeth stepped closer to the potions master and threaded her arm with his.

Taking care to avoid Elizabeth bumping into anyone, or vice versa, Snape steered them to their first stop, Ollivander's.  A small bell tinkled as they entered the shabby narrow shop.

The dingy shop, multiple shelves piled high with small boxes, appeared to be unattended.  The two stopped in the middle of the bare waiting area, and Snape's eyes roamed around, searching every shadow for the storekeeper.  It irritated the potions master that Ollivander was one of the very few people who could sneak up on the highly skilled spy, paranoia notwithstanding.

Elizabeth took a step forward to peer around the dark-haired man, and stared at a dark area between two shelves.  Not ten seconds later, an old man stepped from the shadows.

"My, my…it is very rare that someone can tell where I am coming from.  Very rare.  I do so pride myself in being able to observe a client before making my presence known.  It does help with the choosing." Eyes gleaming with delight, the old man stepped closer.  "And just who might you be, my dear perceptive girl?"

Elizabeth looked up at Snape with an expression of uncertainty.

"This is Miss Elizabeth, Mr. Ollivander.  I believe the Headmaster set up an appointment for us?" Snape said with a hit of warning in his voice.

"Oh, yes…yes, he did.  Where are my manners?" Ollivander chided himself.  "I am Mr. Ollivander, Miss Elizabeth.  It is a pleasure to meet someone with such keen senses.  Please, come this way."

Waving the young woman to the counter, Ollivander pulled a long tape measure from his pocket.  "Please hold out your wand arm, my dear, so I can measure it."

With another nervous glance at the potions master, Elizabeth held out her left arm.  The tape measure zipped around it, taking various measurements before it abruptly stopped in mid-air.

"Hmmm…are you sure that is your wand arm?  The tape measure seems to be uncertain about the measurements.  Could you please hold out your other arm?" The old man looked thoughtful.

After dropping her left arm, Elizabeth extended out her right, and the tape measure began to zip around once more.  But, just as it had done with her left arm, the tape measure abruptly stopped once more, hovering in place.

"Oh dear, that _is_ odd.  Now what could have…" Ollivander scratched his head as he stared at the tape measure in puzzlement.  As if remembering something, the old man snapped his fingers, saying, "Ah, yes.  Now I remember.  Do you happen to be ambidextrous, Miss Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth nodded her head.

"Would you be so kind as to hold out both arms, my dear?"

Following his instructions, Elizabeth held out both arms, and this time the tape measure merrily zipped around both without pausing in its measurements.  While this was happening, Ollivander cheerfully gave his well-known recitation of the properties of wands and their cores, as he began rummaging through the boxes.

With a final 'snap', the tape measure crumpled and fell onto the counter, draping itself over the edge in a mockery of exhaustion.

"Oh, are you done already?" Ollivander looked at the tape measure questioningly.  

The tape measure quivered in response.

"Hmmm…"

"Is there something wrong, Mr. Ollivander?" Snape inquired, eyebrow raised.

"No, no.  It just looks as if this may be more difficult that I originally thought, my dear boy." Ollivander responded distractedly.

"How so?"

"Well, as you know, the wand picks the wizard…" the old man trailed of absently.

"And?" Snape asked, irritated with the old man's vague manner.

"I find myself at a loss as to what to do when _every wand wants to choose her."_

Snape was dumfounded.

Elizabeth laughed.

Ollivander's head shot up at the sound of the young woman's amusement, and he stared at her, eyes piercing, as if willing the veil to disappear.

"May I look upon you, my dear?" the old man whispered.

"Mr. Ollivander!" Snape spoke sharply, but broke off as Elizabeth placed a hand on his arm.  Turning to look at the young woman, he saw that she gave a small nod of approval.  "Are you sure?"

Elizabeth gave him a small smile, and nodded again.

"Very well.  Would you dim the candles, Mr. Ollivander?  Elizabeth's eyesight cannot handle bright lights."

After Ollivander adjusted the levels of illumination, Snape helped Elizabeth to remove her hood and veil.  The young woman turned her gaze on the old man, whose eyes widened.

"Oh…Oh my!" the old man whispered excitedly.  "Wait here…I know…I know now…"

Ollivander quickly disappeared into the back of the shop, where they heard several drawers being opened and closed, and a muttered 'I know it's here _somewhere_.'

A crowing 'Ah-ha!' was heard just before the old man reappeared carrying a slim wooden box.  He reverently placed the item onto the counter, and gave them both a look of delight.

"Oh this is wonderful!  Do you know what I have here, my dear children?"  At their confused looks, Ollivander continued excitedly, "This is the _oldest_ wand currently in our care…one that has been waiting over 2,000 years to choose its owner, though I believe it to be _much_ older."

Elizabeth and Snape exchanged surprised looks before returning their attention to the shopkeeper.  The dark-haired potions master was amused at seeing the old man so animated, as that particular level of excitement was usually reserved for small children who were in the presence of candy.

"As you know, Ollivander's has existed since 382 B.C., though my ancestors were making wands for far longer than that.  Regardless, it was the third caretaker of Ollivander's, Moncreiffe Ollivander, who came across this wand.  Or should I say, it came across him," the old man whispered mysteriously.  "On one of his trips to find new wood, Moncreiffe happened upon a man on the road…a humbly-dressed man with 12 men who followed him on his journey…and for a short while he traveled with this group on their way to Bethany.  Careful of what he said, though still friendly, Moncreiffe told the man of what he sought, but it wasn't until they reached a fork in the road that the man responded…"

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_"I know of where you come from, my child, and why it is that you seek what you do.  Your path does not lie with mine, and this is where we must part.  Your journey lies along the other path, though it will be many days before you find what you are looking for." The soft-spoken man said._

_"I would travel with you for a while, if you would allow it," Moncreiffe replied._

_"You must not, or your journey will come to its end.  Seek the other path, my friend."_

_"As you wish, my friend.  Good journey, and may we meet again."_

_Moncreiffe turned to go, but was halted by the man before he could take a step._

_"I have a parting gift for you, my child, if you would take it."_

_The man pulled out a long piece of wood from his sleeve.  Dark and straight as an arrow, its polished length gleamed lightly in the waning sun._

_"It will not be claimed in your lifetime, nor in your children's.  A long time will pass before one comes for it…one who will bring the only core it will accept.  Will you and your children care for it?  And your children's children, and on down your line until they come?"_

_"We will, my friend."  Moncreiffe reverently took the piece of wood from the man.  Startled at its weight, he looked at it closely before turning a confused face towards the man.  "This is not wood."_

_"It is wood, my friend.  It is a wood so old it has become stone."_

_"Is it important?"_

_"It is.  Though, only the one who comes for it will know why, but not until they remember.  Farewell, my friend."_

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"And from there, Moncreiffe traveled down the other path, eventually making his way to Tibet…a very peaceful place, or so his journals say."  Ollivander seemed to lose himself in his memories until Snape cleared his throat.  "Oh, yes.  Now where were we?  Ah, yes, the wand."

The old man stroked the wooden case reverently before lifting the lid, exposing his prize.  The dim candlelight glinted on the surface of the hardened wood.

"There is only one question I ask you," Ollivander said as he gently picked up the heavy wand and held it out to Elizabeth, "do you have the core this wand will accept?"

Elizabeth reached out a hand to stroke the smooth surface, giving him a small smile and nodding her head.

Snape gave her a look of confusion when she moved her hand from the wand and placed it over his heart.

"It is here."

"Wha…?"

The young woman tapped the area where her hand had been, causing something to thump against his chest.

Reaching in, he pulled out a slim box, and looked at in puzzlement.  When he opened it and saw the contents, a memory flashed through his mind…

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_Slowly, the newly restored woman painfully struggled to her hands and knees, her blonde hair tumbling over her shoulders.  Looking up at the orb still hovering over her, the young woman stretched out her hand to the soft light.  The glowing orb hovered just out of reach, bobbing gently.  _

_Crying tearfully, the young woman whispered in a scratchy voice, "M-Mom?"_

_For a brief moment, the orb shone brighter.  Fading back to its normal soft glow, the orb began to rise higher and drift toward a broken window.  A soft glow pulsed from the direction of the orb, which then disappeared through the opening and immediately ascended into the clearing sky._

_The others returned their attention to the young woman, but Snape stared at the window through which the orb disappeared, which is why he was the only one who noticed the white object slowly floating back into the room.  It drifted on a slight breeze, eventually falling to the floor at Snape's feet._

_Kneeling down, the dark-haired man began to reach out for it, only to pull his hand back quickly.  Reaching into his robes, he pulled out a handkerchief, and used it to pick up the small object.  _

_Bringing the contents in his hands closer to his face, he was surprised to see a small white feather, approximately three inches long, which gave off a slight glow._

_As the young woman's cries of despair echoed in his ears, the dark-haired man folded the square fabric around his prize, hiding it from sight, then placed it in a secure pocket over his heart._

_Later that night, he placed it into a small box, and put it into his breast pocket.  From that time forward he carried it wherever he went._

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"I'd forgotten I had this," Snape softly said, as he peered at the small feather, then held out the open box towards the old man.

"The feather of an angel…freely given," Ollivander whispered in awe.  "Oh…it is not for ones such as you and I to touch, my dear boy, for we are simple mortals."

Confused, the dark-haired man began to pull his hand back, but was stopped by a small hand holding his wrist.

Taking the heavy wand from Ollivander, Elizabeth gently picked up the small white feather, bringing it towards the tip of the long piece of wood.

When it touched the tip, a small compartment opened.  The three watched as, by its own volition, the feather swiftly disappeared into the opening.  When it was no longer visible, the compartment closed, leaving no trace that it was ever there.

A warm breeze blew through the small shop as the wand began to faintly glow.  When Elizabeth raised the wand and gave it a wave, a shower of soft fairy lights rained down upon the trio, and the two men felt a sense of peace flow over them.
    
    As the breeze picked up, Ollivander's eyes pierced into Elizabeth's through the falling lights, and he whispered, "You will you know ... what's to come ... what you are. And soon it will begin."

On the last word, the lights disappeared and the breeze stopped completely, returning everything in the dingy shop back to normal.

Giving her a formal bow and a gentle smile, the old man said, "It has been an honor to serve you, my lady," and disappeared into the back.

Elizabeth and Snape quietly left the small shop, somehow knowing that payment would not be accepted for the wand.

And after that…Flourish and Blotts seemed quite tame.

***************************************************************

"You must not…tell him."

Snape drew his gaze from the window of the carriage, and looked at Elizabeth.  The young woman was holding her new wand in her lap, and looking at him with a serious expression.

"The old one…cannot know yet.  Only…you."

"Why not, Elizabeth?"

The young woman's eyes dropped to the length of wood, and she stoked it as she whispered, "It is not…time yet."

"When will it be time?"

"For you…soon.  For others…later.  You must not…tell."

Snape was pleased that he would be the first to know her secrets, but was confused as to why the Headmaster should not be permitted that privilege also, especially since it was by Dumbledore's leave that Elizabeth would be allowed to stay at Hogwarts.

"Do you not trust the Headmaster, Elizabeth?  Out of everyone at Hogwarts, he _is _the most trustworthy."

"This is not about…trust."  Elizabeth struggled to make the potions master understand, but she barely understood it herself.  "I cannot be his…tool…yet, Severus."

The dark-haired man was surprised.  Elizabeth hadn't even formally met the Headmaster, yet she already seemed to understand his manipulative ways.

"If you are sure, Elizabeth, though I don't understand why you would allow _me_ to know – I am not without certain…faults, which makes most people avoid trusting me," Snape said softly, absently rubbing his left forearm.

"**_I_** trust you, Severus," Elizabeth replied just as softly, resting her hand on the arm the dark-haired man was rubbing, and giving him a knowing look, "and so does he."

Squeezing his arm in comfort, she continued, "You will know…soon, so you can…tell the old one where my…loyalties are."

"Why would the Headmaster question your loyalties, Elizabeth?" the dark-haired man asked, confused.

"He knows…n-nothing about me.  How can he not help but…qu-question it?" Elizabeth responded with an understanding smile.  "I am…re-remembering more, and will…soon know…everything.  You will soon know…why I can be trusted, Severus…and you will be able to tell the old one…without a doubt…that I am trust-trustworthy."

"If you say so, Elizabeth." Snape said uncertainly.  "I do have one question, though…why do you call him 'the old man'?  Why not 'the Headmaster' or even 'Dumbledore'?"

"Too many damn…syll..a..bles, the young woman responded, lips twitching.

Snape laughed. 

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It must be said that the curiosity of children are whetted when told very little about something interesting.  And so it was found to be in the case of Hogwarts' newest tenant, an unknown entity to said children, whose presence had nothing to do with the school, and, as such, was unwarranted.

Professors Flitwick and McGonagall were somewhat confused at the number of students who came to them that evening with questions regarding homework or projects, unknowingly giving the children an excuse to be on the ground level nearest the main entrance.

Several children from each house lingered in the hallways and stairwells leading to the dungeons, huddling together on the pretence of having academic discussions, though the Slytherins were the only house that actually dared to be _in the dungeons._

When carriage wheels were heard, shortly followed by the creaking of the giant main doors as they were opened, a hush briefly befell the loitering children, only to having the chattering quickly resume as the students realized that they needed to keep up appearances of having a valid reason for being where they were.

The sight that beheld the children kindled their curiosity even more.  The small figure, positively identified as female by her delicate hands (and other more obvious attributes), had her features completely covered, and walked with a grace that could almost be termed 'floating.'

Each group observed as best they could, without appearing to do so, and attempted to avoid the sneering gaze of their potions master as the two passed.  There were a few soft gasps of shock from the more fashionable and wealthy students.

Whispers followed the two as they disappeared down a stairwell.

_'… she was wearing…'_

_'She walks so gracefully…'_

_'…like he's escorting someone important…'_

_'…acromantula silk!'_

Rumors abounded the next morning, ranging from the young woman being from an extremely wealthy family from somewhere in Europe, to being a descendent of Merlin, to being a royal princess wrongfully exiled.

The Golden Trio would have laughed at some of the tales, but even they didn't know what could be true or not.

*****************************************************************

Elizabeth's presence in the Gryffindor/Slytherin fourth year potions class was a major distraction, causing even Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy to botch their potions, as every student was paying more attention to the young woman than they were to their cauldrons.  Thankfully, the potion wasn't the exploding kind, no matter how bad it was messed up, so even Neville Longbottom (whose potion turned orange yet _again) didn't create a catastrophe._

Luckily this happened early enough in the class for them to start over from scratch.  And after several scathing remarks and plenty of point deductions (even from Slytherin!), the children studiously kept their attention where it was supposed to be, though Draco Malfoy could be seen to shoot curious glances at the young woman every once in a while, then whispering to his two large sidekicks, Crabbe and Goyle.

It wasn't until several days later that something happened to cause even more rumors to run amok among the houses.

*******************************************************************

The dark-haired potions master was uncomfortable with letting Elizabeth out of his sight when she wasn't ensconced in his personal quarters.  Unfortunately, the time between classes did not allow him to escort her back to their rooms, so he had to depend on other resources.  

The oddly dressed house-elf, Dobby, provided a solution…a house-elf would take care of Elizabeth during her walk between the potions classroom and their living quarters.  This also provided a solution to Dobby's own problem…what to do with Winky, a troubled house-elf with no self-esteem who had accompanied him to Hogwarts looking for work.

Giving Winky the important task of being _her_ personal house-elf, and escorting _her_ from place to place, and being the front line of protection for _her_, did wonders for Winky's confidence.  The young female house-elf literally bounced with excitement whenever called upon to perform a duty.

And that was what she was doing now, as she and Elizabeth waited for the Gryffindor/Slytherin fourth year potions class to empty.

Once the last student left, Elizabeth bid farewell to the dark-haired professor, and exited the room.  Making her way further into the dungeons, she smiled softly at the chattering house-elf, happy to see the small creature's enthusiasm, especially since Winky seemed so down-trodden when Elizabeth first saw her.

Their progress was halted by three figures blocking their path…two were fairly large, both in height and mass, but the third had a slim form and only topped Elizabeth by an inch.

"Well, well, well…what have we here?" said the mocking voice of the slim young boy.

 The young woman stood silently as the blonde-haired boy circled her, his hair shining brightly in the dim light of the corridor.

"There are some _very interesting rumors going around the school about you.  Would you care to confirm any of them?"_

Elizabeth tensed, but kept silent.  At her side, Winky was shifting uncomfortably.

"No?  Well, no one denies a Malfoy, So, I guess I'll have to take it upon myself to _get_ my answers."  

Draco reached out a hand to lift the young woman's veil, but she took a step back out of reach.

"Why so shy, pet?" Draco said, raising an eyebrow.  A malicious gleam appeared in his eyes as he continued, "Are you deformed?  Are there scars on your face?  Or do you have something else to hide, eh?"

Elizabeth had frozen on hearing the word 'pet', a memory flashing through her mind of something, or someone…another blonde man.  Lost in her confused thoughts, she didn't notice the three boys drawing nearer.

Winky become agitated at the nearness of the trio, and placed herself in front of her charge, softly chanting, "No, no, no…go away.  Leave her alone."

"Crabbe, Goyle, hold her while I have a look-see," Draco ordered, smirking in anticipation.

With a muttered 'outta my way, runt', Goyle kicked Winky away.  Both large boys went to grab Elizabeth's arms, and the moment their grips tightened, Elizabeth fell to her knees with a long scream of pain, which echoed up and down the dark corridor.

Draco stepped back, startled at the young woman's response to the very mild manhandling.  The two larger boys, still holding Elizabeth's arms, looked confused.

"Lets her **_go_!"  Winky screamed, grabbing Goyle's arm and biting it in hope of making him release her.**

Goyle dropped the young woman's arm, and tried to shake the house-elf off.  Crabbe soon followed, not wanting to be bitten also.  Elizabeth fell to the floor, breathing heavily, pain still throbbing in her arms.

The three boys stared at the figure huddling on the floor with the small house-elf hovering over her protectively.  Their stares broke away as they were started by several loud continuous thunderclaps, followed by a multitude of pounding footsteps.

Quickly moving to place their backs against the wall, the trio huddled together as the pounding steps came closer and closer, until their owners appeared only seconds later.

The trio paled, trembling in fear as they found themselves surrounded by over 100 snarling house-elves, both on the ground and clinging to the walls, their large angry eyes gleaming fiercely in the dim lights.

They all looked as if they were about to rip the three boys into shreds if they even dared to breathe. 

The three boys held their breath.

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Well, at least I didn't take as long updating this time, though I know two months is a long time to wait for an update. ;)  You can blame the various holidays and finals for that.  By the way…Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Happy New Year, and Happy/Merry whatever other holiday I may have missed!

First I want to make a statement…this fic will** not** go overboard with religious connotations.  I will **not** be preaching, nor will I be giving my opinions one way or another.  The purpose of any scene that mentions Catholicism, religious aspects, or people from the Bible, are for the benefit of originality in a storyline _only_.  For as many fanfictions that I've read, I have not seen anyone explore this route.  For those who are deeply religious, please do not take offense with my previous statements…I am in no way mocking religion, nor will I be frivolously throwing biblical characters in left or right.  These scenes **do serve a purpose, which will not be seen until the story comes to its conclusion.  Please be patient.  If you should find fault with something, I welcome your comments as long as they are constructive and not for the purpose of flaming.  Thank You.__**

For the people who want to know the pairings…sorry, no can say.  I think I've finally decided on one, and may have one or two others, but it's not definite yet.  Besides, I like to keep you guessing.  ;P  While you can continue to plead your case, I make no guarantees.  :)

For the people who have made any requests…sorry, I don't do windows.  Oops…meant to say that, while your suggestions are great, I've already made plans with various characters, and any deviations on a character's attitude/demeanor will change the path of the storyline.  This is **not** to say that I have or have not already planned on a character being the way you want…you will just have to wait and see.  Though, as with the response to "pairings" above, you can continue to plead your case. :)

Can you believe that I blathered on so long on the wand choosing scene?  The original was only supposed to be half as long, but when I re-read Harry's visit to Ollivander's, I couldn't help but make it longer, especially since I always wondered…how are you supposed to know which is your wand arm?  In Buffy's case especially, since (I assume) she can use weapons in either hand, I though this was important.  I had her choose her left first as a subconscious reaction to leaving her dominant hand free for staking/stabbing/punching/etc.  The tape measure's reaction was due to Buffy/Elizabeth needing the freedom to be able to use her wand with either hand as the situation merits. 

On a final note, I thought I should let you know that Buffy will **not** be called "Elizabeth" for the entire story.  I saw a couple of comments that expressed confusion as to why I wasn't using the name "Buffy" by now.  If you remember from Chapter 5, Buffy took on the name "Elizabeth" until it was safe.  Since she is still relatively vulnerable, and she is still hiding her identity, she will continue to go by the name "Elizabeth."  I don't see this changing until later, but I believe her normal personality will start making a comeback before too long…I really miss all her "Americanisms" and her botching of the English language.  And, hey…since Giles isn't around, she has to ruffle _some_ British guy's feathers, and Snape is just so…so…handy, isn't he?  evil grin  And if _that_ doesn't bring back snarky Snape, nothing will.

Up next…I can't tell ya, or I'll have to kill ya.  ;)

Remember – REVIEW!!  REVIEW!!  REVIEW!!


	8. Past Horrors Full Title Inside

Note to Reader's, The Full Title is:

When It's Time to Change, You've Got to Re-Arrange, Who You Are and What You're Gonna Be  

(The title also end's with a lot of Sha na na's, and if you understand this, you've must be as old as I am.  LOL)

A/N:  THANK YOU!!  THANK YOU!!  THANK YOU!!  All of you who reviewed are absolutely the BEST!!  I was extremely shocked to receive over 30 reviews within the first 24 hours of posting.  I feel so loved.  :)

I normally try to avoid comments to individual reviewers, since they take up too much time (writing time, that is), but there were a few of posts that I believe I should respond to, as they made excellent points and/or comments.

Frolicking_Nomad – Thanks for the correction on which grade level the Golden Trio are in for my story.  If you saw my A/N in the reposting of the last chapter, you will know that I've fixed the error.  Thanks again!  I love your suggestion for the Draco vs. House-elves!  And, while I don't think it would be allowed, it does scream a "Snape Sarcasm Moment", doesn't it?  Heehee!  Hmmm…I'll have to think about it.  :)

mc2rpg – I originally planned on having Winky "blast" Crabbe and Goyle, but realized that they still had a firm grip on Buffy/Elizabeth.  If I had Winky blast them, they would have taken her with them, which would have been a major owwie for Buffy/Elizabeth.  So, I changed it to the tried and true "if you don't let her go, I'll bite you and **make** you let her go"…I hope that clears things up.

Lord Schmodder – I'm sorry you didn't discover this story later, too, 'cuz guess what…I plan on it being 100 chapters long, so you still have 93 left to go!  MWAHAHAHAHA!!

*cough* *snurt* *choke*  Just kidding.  LOL  I have absolutely NO idea how long it's going to be, but it **will** be long.  (yeah, updating hourly, riiiiiiiiiight.)

Alexis-Lee – You're right, it does sound weird, but hey, we're all allowed a little weirdness now and then.  If not, I don't know what I'll do…I can't return mine because I lost the receipt.  ;P  One question though…which one is Andrew?  Bahahahahaha!  ;)

Rose Williams – Welcome to "Picky Bastard/Bicta Central".  Please remove your shoes at the door, put on a pair of matching Grim/Sirius Werewolf/Remus guest slippers (hint the Grim one goes on the left foot), and take your leisure on the smooshy couch (beware, it tends to suck you between the cushions if you don't stroke the arm rest every once in a while).  I know what you mean about being picky, and hope that, even if my story isn't one of your favorites, it will at least entertain you. :)   By the way, boring parts?…skipping, skipping…or at least trying to (I almost did it with the last chapter again, but said "uh, why do I need this here?" several times until I got the point across).  I haven't decided what to do with each member of the Golden Trio yet (in regards to pairings), but am entertaining the idea of just leaving it – they're only 14-ish right now, and the story will end when they're 15-ish…I figure they will _just_ begin to show interest in dating, or maybe not, they're still young.  I do have to admit that I have a love/hate relationship with the character of Ron, and haven't decided which way I'm going to go with him yet – I probably won't know until I reach that chapter.  

For everyone else, thank you, thank you, thank you!  I wish I could individual give you a note of thanks, but I'm sure that you are _so_ ready to start reading the story…so onward!  Mush!  Mush!  

Btw – doesn't it frustrate you when the Author's Notes is longer than the actual chapter you read?

One last thing…is it just me, or are there a God-awful amount of Willow-central fics coming out these days?  Nothing wrong with them, I'm just getting tired of seeing so many.

Onward…Mush!

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**Past Horrors – Brought to you by your friendly neighborhood Hippocampus and Cerebral Cortex**

Nothing fixes a thing so intensely in the memory as the wish to forget it.  **_~ Michel de Montaigne (1533 - 1592)_**

[Memory is] a man's real possession...In nothing else is he rich, in nothing else is he poor.  **_~ Alexander Smith (1830 - 1867)_**__

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A long scream broke through Snape's concentration, but it only took him a moment to recognize Elizabeth's voice.  Dropping the empty vials he carried onto his desk, he rushed through the door the young woman had previously exited, the sound of breaking glass echoing behind him.

The potions master hadn't gone but a few steps before he was halted by the sheer number of house-elves blocking the hallway.  They radiated a furious anger, and were looking at something further down the hall.

Before he could think of how to get through the angry mass of small bodies, pounding footsteps came from behind.  The dark-haired man turned to see several students from both his previous and next class, the Golden Trio among them, and both the Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress quickly weaving between the gob-smacked students.

"Severus!  What happened?!" the Headmaster said as he approached his potions master.

"Something has happened to Elizabeth, but, as you see, I can't get to her," Snape snapped, waving his hand at the horde of enraged house-elves.

"Call for Dobby, Professor.  I'm sure he's somewhere close to where Elizabeth is," Harry whispered, careful to avoid having the other students overhear.

The snarky man glared at him, then abruptly turned towards the mass of elves.

"Dobby!  Let me through!"

With subtle shifts, a path was cleared, and the dark-haired man stalked through.

Dumbledore and McGonagall went to follow, but Harry and Hermione quickly grabbed at them.

"No!  Don't!" Harry said frantically, then dropping his voice back to a whisper.  "You'll hurt her."

The Headmaster looked startled for a moment, then a look of realization crossed his face.

"I had forgotten for a moment, Mr. Potter.  Thank you for the reminder."

They stood waiting for a few minutes, then heard Professor Snape's voice rise in anger, though his words were unintelligible to them.  There was a short period of silence, after which, most of the house-elves quietly disappeared.  A moment later, three pale, shaking students walked towards them.

Harry was angry to note that it was Malfoy and his two goons, and hoped Elizabeth wasn't hurt too badly from their arrogant stupidity.

"Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Crabbe, Mr. Goyle.  May we presume that this is your doing?" Professor McGonagall asked stiffly.

The three students looked away, nodding their heads.

"I believe you were in attendance when I gave my announcement about Miss Elizabeth's condition, and can only assume that you chose to ignore my warnings."  The Headmaster's face looked grim.  "I will confer with your Head of House on an appropriate punishment and point deduction for your transgressions, though I am sure Professor Snape may have already done so.  Be that as it may, you three will return to your dormitory until further notice, and all Hogsmead privileges are revoked indefinitely."

The three students winced, though Malfoy looked a little angry.

"You are dismissed."

The Slytherins shuffled away, taking a different, and longer, route back to their rooms.  The closest course lay in the direction they just came from, but there was _no_ way they were going to go anywhere _near _the young woman…at least until the house-elves _and_ Professor Snape calmed down.

At this point, they were lucky to have gotten off with their heads still attached.  They weren't going to press the situation.

The Headmaster shooed off the remaining students to their classes, which cleared the hallway.

Turning towards Harry and his two friends, Dumbledore said, "Harry, please ask Professor Snape to contact me once his classes have ended for the day."

With that, the Headmaster gave the trio a pass to their next class, and he and the Deputy Headmistress removed themselves from the area, just in case their presence at that distance was harmful to the young woman.

*********************************************************

Snape followed the narrow path created by the house-elves to where it abruptly ended in the middle of the angry horde, which was focused on three cowering students…from _his_ house.

_'I should have known Malfoy would be at the center of this.  The arrogant boy doesn't know when to leave things alone,'_ he thought.

"What…did…you…do?!" Snape ground out through gritted teeth, eyes flashing dangerously.

The three students stared at him blankly, too much in shock from being surrounded by hundreds of livid creatures they had originally thought of as meek.

"They's touched her…they's grabbed her…they's _hurt_ her," a small voice hissed, growling at the three students, who winced.

Several of the house-elves shifted, angrily hissing.  Waves of angry magic could be felt wafting in the air around them, with the feeling that one small spark could set it off.

Snape looked at the one who spoke, Winky, then his eyes drifted to where Elizabeth sat quietly on the ground, still a little pale from pain.

Turning back to the three Slytherins, he growled, "You are lucky if I don't leave you here for the house-elves to deal out their _own_ brand of punishment.  What were you _thinking_?!"

Malfoy and his two goons cowered even further.

"Were you not listening to the Headmaster's announcement, or are you just too _dim-witted_ to understand the words _physical ailments_?!  If I find that you have injured Miss Elizabeth further, don't even worry about winning the house cup…because _you won't even be here_!!  And no amount of money will allow you back into Hogwarts if I have anything to say about it.  Pray that she is unharmed…for your sake."

Malfoy paled even further, disbelief shown from his face, as if he couldn't believe his Head of House would actually threaten to expel him…_him_…a _Malfoy_!

Snape turned to an oddly dressed house-elf, and dropped his voice to a low murmer.  The elf gave him a dubious look, glancing at the three students who had their backs to the wall.  After a moment, he nodded his head reluctantly.  Waving a small hand at the multitude of house-elves behind him, he silently dismissed them, but stayed himself, and took up a protective position in front of the young woman.  

The potions master nodded at the elf before turning his angry gaze back at the three Slytherins.

"One hundred points _each_ will be deducted for your stupidity, and another two hundred for _acting on it_!!  I will inform you of what your punishment will be at a later date, and you'd better _pray_ that I don't allow Filch to reinstate the old forms.  Now get out of my sight!!"

The three boys scrambled away, heading down the hall where Snape saw several of students were observing the scene in various states of shock and fear.

Unconcerned with anyone else, Snape silently helped Elizabeth to stand, then led her to his quarters, followed by the two remaining house-elves.  Their trek was briefly halted when Potter passed on the Headmaster's message, which was received with a sharp nod by the angry man.

The students in his next class were abnormally quiet, giving Snape a lot of time to come up with some really nasty detentions for the three Slytherins…he just had to choose which one to inflict on them.

*****************************************************

It must be said that fear can quickly turn into anger…especially for a Slytherin.  The further the fair-haired boy was from the frightening situation, the angrier he became.

_'How DARE he!!' _

Draco was fuming.  No one…NO one threatened a Malfoy and got away with it!

_'Five hundred points!'_

Their Head of House _never_ took large amounts of points from his own house, no matter _what_ they did!  

_'Detention with _FILCH_!'_

Snape _always_ handled the Slytherin detentions whenever he gave them out!

This situation stank of secrets. 

Abruptly changing direction, the blonde youth headed back in the direction he just came from, his two goons taking several seconds to realize that their leader was no longer with them.  

Looking confused for several moments, the two large boys looked over their shoulders just in time to see the flicker of their dorm mate's cloak as he whipped around a corner.  They rushed to catch up.

It was just as they were about to reach their destination that the larger youths realized that their leader was heading towards the owlry.

Several minutes later, one of the school owls was on its way, a lengthy, but curtly written letter attached to its leg.

_'We'll see what father has to say about _this_!'_

**************************************************************

"Five hundred points, Severus?  Isn't that…excessive, even for you?" McGonagall asked curiously, leaning forward in her regular chair in the Headmaster's office.  "Not that I'm complaining, mind you…it _will_ ensure that Slytherin won't have a chance at winning the House Cup this year."

"I'm sure you're crying buckets of tears, Minerva," Snape smirked.  "I hate to disappoint you, but the point removal will be reduced to a less extreme level."

The Deputy Headmistress lifted an eyebrow.  "Might I ask why?  It's not like you to change your mind without good reason.

Snape squirmed uncomfortably, not wanting to answer.

"Severus?" Dumbledore questioned, his own curiosity being niggled by the out-of-character back-peddling his potions master seemed to be doing.

"Elizabeth asked me to," Snape reluctantly said.

Dumbledore and McGonagall exchanged amused glances, but didn't press the issue.

"So, Severus, have you thought of an appropriate punishment for your students?  I have already removed all Hogsmeade privileges and sent them to their dorms until further notice, and let it be known that they would be notified of the details of their detention at a later time."

"They will be cleaning a certain room on the third floor that has _remnants_ of the previous tenants' stay…_ without magic_," the potions master smirked evilly.  "And the detention will last for however many days it takes to make that room _sparkle_!"

"Severus!" McGonagall looked stunned.  "I would have thought you would save that for the students of _my_ house!"

"I was, but it seemed _appropriate_ that Mr. Malfoy be required to dirty his hands as punishment.  You know how fastidiously _clean_ he is," Snape replied sneered.  "Besides, there is still the Devil Snare to transplant, hundreds of flying keys to catch and de-charm, and remnants of large chess pieces to clean up.  I believe those will take care of your miscreants for the next five years, Minerva."

McGonagall's lips thinned in disapproval.  "And do any of those have Mr. Potter's name on it, Severus?"

"Oh, no…I have a _special_ one, _just_ for Mr. Potter, my _dear_ Minerva," Snape mocked.  "Should your golden boy ever go too far, there is a _lovely_ Basilisk corpse that needs to be harvested."

"You _wouldn't_!"

"Try me."

"That will be enough from both of you.  As amusing as it is to see two adults degenerate into a childish house war, we still have a situation to remedy," Dumbledore interrupted, eyes twinkling.  "Severus, your proposal for their detention is approved.  Shall we now discuss Hogsmeade privileges for the three students, and a suitable point deduction for Slytherin house?"

The three haggled for several minutes, the potions master uncharacteristically taking a high point reduction stance.

Snape was oblivious to the other two exchanging amused, knowing glances.

************************************************************

_*Tink* *Tink* *Tink* _

"May I have your attention please.  The Headmaster has an announcement to make."  

Dumbledore stood, letting his gaze briefly roam over the children eating their evening meal.

"As most of you may have heard by now, our guest, Miss Elizabeth, was accosted on the way back to her quarters by a few students, who inadvertently harmed her.  I feel that I may, in some small way, be responsible for the outcome of this situation, as I did not clarify the delicacy of her condition.  Your Heads of House have been informed as to Miss Elizabeth's current condition, and will advise you as to how you may avoid harming her in the future.

"You should also know that the house-elves have taken our guest under their protection, and it would be advisable that you do not attempt to intentionally harm her in any way.

Now, Professor Snape has a few words to convey to you."

The Headmaster returned to his seat, gesturing for his potions master to take over the announcement.

Snape stood, sneering at the room full of students, unrolling the scroll in his hands.

"It is unusual that details of detentions and revoked privileges are announced to the entire school body, but it is felt that the seriousness of this transgression _must_ be understood by all.  Therefore, let it be known that the three transgressors will be required to clean and disinfect, without magic and to _my_ satisfaction, the room on the third floor previously occupied by 'Fluffy', the three-headed dog…"

The room burst into shocked chattering.

"_Furthermore_…the same three students will have all Hogsmeade privileges revoked through the remainder of this term."

There were several gasps in the room, and looks of pity at Malfoy and his two goons, who were hunching over, trying to make themselves disappear as much as possible.

"As for point reduction, the original 500 points…"

A loud uproar burst out among the students, never in Hogwarts history had 500 points been taken at one time.

Snape raised his voice to be heard over the students' voices, "_The original 500 points_ have, by the request of Miss Elizabeth, been reduced to a total of 140 points.  Forty each from the two who grabbed her, and 60 points from the one who instigated the situation."

The dark-haired professor rolled the parchment up as he glared out over the shocked room.

"But let it be known that, from this point forward, if anyone…_anyone_ intentionally harms Miss Elizabeth again, that student's house will be docked 100 points for each person involved, and they will face permanent expulsion from Hogwarts."

As Snape spun around, returning to his seat, the stunned students whispered among themselves.

No one noticed when Draco Malfoy slunk out of the room, pale with worry.

******************************************************

Snape was on his way back to his quarters from the Slytherin common room, where he had just informed his house of Elizabeth's condition.  He was still livid with the three students who had harmed the young woman.

"Sir?"

"Mr. Malfoy," Snape said icily.

"C-could I speak with you, sir?" Draco asked nervously, trying to keep a neutral expression, but not really succeeding.

"I don't believe we have anything to say to each other, Mr. Malfoy."

"Please, sir," the blonde haired youth paled at his Head of House's anger.

Snape pinned him with his gaze, noticing the uncomfortable shuffling of his, normally, unflappable student.  With a sharp nod, he gestured the (now) somewhat relieved student to his office.

Upon entering his domain, otherwise known as his office, the potions master took a seat, positioning himself in a way that both intimidated Draco and made it clear that Snape was still furious with him.

Closing the door behind him, the blonde boy then hesitantly took a seat in front of the Professor's desk.  Not knowing how to start, he shifted uneasily in his chair.

"I owled my father, sir," Draco blurted out. 

"Indeed, Mr. Malfoy?" Snape's voice bit out.  "And when did you do this?  Before or after the announcement at supper?"

"B-before, sir," he stuttered.  "I-I was angry after what happened in the hallway, sir."

The blonde-haired boy looked down, away from the furious gaze of his Head.

"You _do_ realize that it will provoke him into coming here unannounced, do you not, Mr. Malfoy?"

"I-I do, sir."

After a long silence, Draco looked up to see that Snape was thinking, hands steepled over his mouth, elbows on the arms of his chair.

"Sir?" Draco hesitantly said.  "I-I didn't want you to think I was intentionally harming Miss Elizabeth again."

Snape looked expressionlessly at him.  "Very well, Mr. Malfoy.  I will do what I can to prepare for your father's arrival.  You may go."

Relieved that he wasn't going to be docked further points…or expelled, Draco stood to leave.  Turning back, he hesitantly addressed his distracted professor.

"Sir?  Why did Miss Elizabeth ask that the removal of house points be lowered?"

The dark-haired professor looked at the young boy blankly.

"Because you didn't know."

Draco nodded his head in understanding.

"Um…thank you, sir.  I mean…can you tell her thank you?" Draco stuttered in embarrassment.  "And…and…um…that…um…I'm sorry."

The blonde haired boy was relieved to notice that, at his apology, his Head of House relaxed his tense posture.  Maybe he _would_ get out of the proverbial 'dog house' at some point.

"I will pass on your message, Mr. Malfoy."

Draco nodded his head, then made his escape as quickly as possible.

Snape sat there in silence after his student left, rapidly thinking of ways to prevent one Mr. Malfoy Sr. from invading his private quarters.  He was, by no means, deceived into thinking that Lucius Malfoy wouldn't be able to break through his wards, given time.  

He just needed to make sure they delayed the man enough for him to arrive and prevent a 'house-elf-shaped' catastrophe from happening.

*************************************************************

Elizabeth was quietly reading in her usual place in front of the fireplace when she heard a loud commotion at the door.  A voice could be heard speaking, and whatever he was saying was making the door shudder on its hinges.

Dobby popped into the room, quickly disappearing into Elizabeth's quarters for a moment, then re-appearing with one of her cloaks.  Several other elves had popped into the room in the mean time, quickly surrounding the young woman in a protective circle.

"A bads man is here, Miss Elizabeth.  He must nots see you."

The young woman quickly stood, dawned the cloak, and had just finished adjusting it, and her veil, to fully cover her features when the door was flung open, crashing into the wall.

A tall man entered, his pale hair seeming to glow in the dimly lit room.  With a growled '_lumos_', he quickly took in the sight of a diminutive figure standing by the fireplace, and the various elves around her.  

Unaffected by the small creatures' acts of aggression, he disregarded them as he advanced, wand in hand, upon where the young woman stood.

"Who are you?!" he growled, pointing the wand at her, the tip just inches from her face.

The young woman silently stood there, her body tense.  The house-elves growled, their magic beginning to make them glow and giving off such large vibes it was almost as if it was another presence in itself.  Elizabeth hoped that Severus showed up before the house-elves felt threatened enough to attack.  She couldn't hold them back much longer…Dobby's hatred of the man who stood before her was too great.

"Answer me!"

His demand was interrupted by another voice.

"Do you have a death-wish Lucius, or are you just so arrogant that you don't see the danger you're in?"

The cavalry had arrived.

***************************************************************

"_Mr. Longbottom_, how many times must I tell you to _slice_ the salamander tails, not _mutilate_ them!  Your incompetence is growing leaps and…" Snape broke off, tilting his head as if listening to something.  He swore.

Striding to door, he bit out, "Ms. Granger, take over the class, and ensure that no one kills themselves in my absence."

Before exiting, he pinned Draco with his gaze.  "Mr. Malfoy, notify the Headmaster that we have an _uninvited_ _guest_ at Hogwarts."

The potions professor left before seeing the Slytherin pale in understanding.

Once he was out of sight of the classroom, Snape broke into a run towards his quarters, hoping against hope that he would make it in time to keep the house-elves from tearing the intruder to shreds.  Not that he would miss Lucius Malfoy, mind you.  It was just that blood was so hard to get out of the carpets.

He arrived moments later to see that the house-elves were just about ready to attack the blonde-haired man.  He never took Lucius to be stupid, but there was always a first time.

"Do you have a death-wish Lucius, or are you just so arrogant that you don't see the danger you're in?"

At his words, the house-elves calmed a bit, their magic retracting somewhat, as they waited to see what Miss Elizabeth's human protector would do.

Lucius Malfoy's head whipped around at the intruding voice, "This is none of your concern, Severus."

"Elizabeth is _my_ patient, Lucius, of course it's _my _concern.  And in case it has slipped your notice, there are 20 angry house-elves surrounding you, ready to attack at one wrong move.  They have their own magic, and if they are angry enough, they will use…it would do you well to remember that."

Lucius looked around, just then noticing the small creatures baring their teeth at him, and the feel of strong magic being held back.

Elizabeth took advantage of his distraction, snatching the wand out of his hand then retreating further into the protective circle of house-elves.

"Hey!" Lucius made to retrieve his wand, but stepped back hurriedly when the house-elves growled at him loudly, their ears strangely quivering.

Snape chuckled, not showing his own surprise at Elizabeth's actions – he'd never seen someone move so fast.  And though it concerned him that the young woman could so easily disarm someone like Lucius Malfoy, he had no qualms about enjoying the arrogant man's dilemma.

Elizabeth was curiously looking over the stolen wand, turning it over an over in her hands as the pale-haired man glared at her angrily.

"Tell her to give it back, Severus," Lucius bit out, gritting his teeth as he turned to glare at the potions master.

"Sorry, Lucius, you created this situation, you have to deal with it."  Snape leaned back against the wall next to the doorway, his arms crossed, and an amused expression on his face.

"Just who is she, Severus?  And why is the Headmaster allowing her to stay at Hogwarts?"

"That is none of your concern."

Lucius' face tightened in anger as he turned back to the young woman who held his wand.

"Give me my wand woman!"

The blonde-haired man couldn't see through her veil, and therefore didn't see her arch an eyebrow at his rudeness.  He did, of course, see her hand when she flipped him off.  

Snape barked out a laugh.

"I think you have to be a little more polite, Lucius.  Or did you leave the highly acclaimed Malfoy manners at home today?"

Lucius snarled in response.

"_May I have my wand back?_"

Elizabeth crossed her arms and tapped her foot.

"_Please_," the man bit out.

In response to his blatantly false manners, the young woman lifted the hand that held the wand, looked at it a moment, then threw it out the door.

Snape laughed again, clearly enjoying the show.

As Lucius stalked towards the door to retrieve his wand, he growled at the potions master, "This isn't over, Severus."

"Leave it alone if you know what's good for you, Lucius."

The potions master slammed the door in the furious man's face, chuckling at the swearing he could hear on the other side.

Turning to where Elizabeth stood looking pleased with herself, he said, "Elizabeth, you have just made my day an extremely enjoyable one."

She smiled at him, responding, "Want me to make it better?"

Snape arched a questioning eyebrow at her.

Elizabeth slowly sashayed up to him, giving the man a mischievous grin.  She stopped about a foot away, lifting her hand to dangle something in front of his face.

"Need this for a potion?"

Snape looked at the object, then took a closer look.  

Giving her a look of disblief, he said, "Is that…?  Where did you…?"

The dark-haired man broke off, making the connection.

"You didn't?!"

At her grin, he burst out laughing.

…and laughing.

…and laughing.

As he struggled for breath, all he could think was that he would never let Lucius live this one down.

**********************************************************

After resetting his wards and locks, Severus set out to find the Headmaster, an envelope in his hands.  He kept looking at it and chuckling.

He found the older man, Draco standing quietly by his side, at the main doors where Mr. Malfoy Sr. had just been politely, but firmly, escorted out of Hogwarts.

"Ah, Professor Snape, how is our guest?  I hope Mr. Malfoy Sr. didn't cause her any harm."

"No, Headmaster.  I arrived before anything could happen…at least, to _her_," Snape responded, lips twitching.

"Might I ask what has you so amused, Severus?"

The dark-haired man silently handed the envelope to Dumbledore who, after a curious look at him, opened it and observed its contents.

"It's a dragon heart-string," Dumbledore stated, eyes sparkling.  "Doesn't Mr. Malfoy Sr. have a dragon heart-string for a wand core, Severus?"

"Not anymore," Snape snorted in amusement.

"You stole my father's wand core?!" Draco exclaimed, stunned.

"Not I, Mr. Malfoy," Snape chuckled.  Turning back to the Headmaster, he smirked, "Apparently Miss Elizabeth's fingers are both quick and nimble.  Could you please see that this is returned to Lucius, Headmaster?"

"Dare I even ask how she got a hold of Mr. Malfoy's wand?"

"A moment's distraction and a quick hand…nothing more, Albus."

The two men exchanged amused looks.  The Headmaster turned to the blonde-haired youth at his side, chuckling at his gob-smacked look.

"Draco, would you care to return this to your father?" Dumbledore held out the envelope to the young boy.

Shaking his head emphatically, Draco held up his hands, warding off the Headmaster.

"No!  No!  I'd like to keep my head, thank you very much!  It will be bad enough knowing that my father was so easily disarmed, without _him_ knowing that _I_ know."

"Very well, Mr. Malfoy.  Why don't you return to class before your father figures out why he can't apparate, and returns here."

It didn't take another word for the blonde-haired boy to hightail it away from them, leaving the two men to chuckle at his retreating form.

"I dare say that Miss Elizabeth has already made an interesting addition to Hogwarts, Severus.  What do you think?"

"Most interesting, Albus," Snape responded, lips twitching again.

And the Headmaster could swear that he saw his potions master's eyes twinkling.

_'Most interesting indeed.'___

***********************************************************

Elizabeth's other lessons began a few days later.  

It was with great trepidation that Snape allowed the three Gryffindors into the special room, created by the castle, which was attached to Elizabeth's room.

The room was special in that it could be accessed from wherever the three students happened to be – a door to the room would appear near them at the appropriate time.  This would keep curious Slytherins from knowing of the arrangement, by keeping the Golden Trio _out_ of the dungeons, per se.

"Good Evening, Sir," Hermione said quietly, a look of nervousness on her face.

"Ms. Granger, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley."

"Um…I brought a lesson plan for you to look over, sir.  I thought you could maybe…uh…let us know if it's adequate for what you want Elizabeth to learn."

Hermione handed a few rolled parchments to the dour looking man.

After unrolling them, he raised an eyebrow at her.

"Very…colorful, Ms. Granger."

The bushy-haired girl blushed, and stammered out an explanation for the mutli-colored dots.  The two boys shifted uncomfortably behind her.

"It is acceptable, but I must warn you not to pressure Miss Elizabeth into doing anything she is not ready for, Ms. Granger.  Furthermore, I would have you spend most of your time on DADA for the time being, with a heavy focus on defensive spells.  Most beginner Charms and Transfiguration can be self-taught, and if you just show Miss Elizabeth how to do the wand movements, she can practice on her own time."

"Y-yes, Sir."

"Now, as you may or may not know, Miss Elizabeth has just gotten her first wand.  I will be attending your first few lessons, in order to make sure there is no difficulty with the use of her wand, and also to see that she does not over-extend herself.  From there, we will assign a time-frame for her lessons, according to each of your schedules."

"Yes, Sir."

"Under _no_ circumstances are you to ask any personal questions, nor will you ask her to remove her veil.  You will just have to deal with not knowing many things about her.  If you break these rules, the lessons will end.  Are we clear?!"

All three students nodded.

Snape stalked to another door, opening it to allow Elizabeth to enter the room.  Escorting her to where the three Gryffindors silently stood, he made introductions…as politely as he could, given the circumstances.

Nodding her head in greeting, Elizabeth gestured towards a long table that had several chairs around it, and gracefully sat at one end, Snape sitting beside her.  The three students quickly took their seats, Hermione in the closest one to the young woman.  

"H-hello, Miss Elizabeth," Hermione gave her a shy smile.  "I'll be doing most of your teaching, until we get to more advance spells – Harry will probably be able to help you out more with DADA at that point."

"And Mr. Weasley?" Elizabeth hesitantly asked.

The three students smiled to hear the young woman speak clearly, though a little slower than what was normal.

"I'm here mostly for moral support…and to dumb things down when Hermione gets too technical."  Ron winked at her cheekily.

"Ron!" Hermione blushed as the two boys laughed.

Elizabeth chuckled.  "I will let you know if I don't understand, Ms. Granger."

The young girl gave her another shy smile, then began the first lesson.

.

.

.

"…so, it's swish as you say 'Wingardium, then flick on the 'O' of 'Leviosa.'  The motions must flow together for it to work.  Watch…Windgardium Leviosa."

Hermione waved her wand as she spoke the words, making the feather on the table float upwards.

Elizabeth clapped her hands, causing Hermione to blush as she ended the spell, and the feather floated back down to the table.

"Now it's your turn, Miss Elizabeth."

Elizabeth took a deep breath.  Holding out her wand, she swished and flicked, speaking the words.

Nothing happened.

She prodded the feather with her wand.

"Float dammit."

The three Gryffindors laughed at that, and even Snape smirked.

"I think you spoke the words wrong, Miss Elizabeth," Hermione said, giggling.

"Yeah…it's Wingardium Levi…_O_…sa, not Levio…_SA_," Ron laughed, sharing an amused glance with Harry, who laughed even harder at their shared memory of the time before they had become friends with the bushy-haired girl.

Hermione quickly pointed her wand at the two cackling boys.

"Unlike before, I have two friends now.  But if they don't knock it off, they're going to be two small furry animals that will be fed to Hedwig.  I _do_ know more hexes than you do, you know."

The two boys quieted down to mild snorts of amusement.

Hermione turned back to Elizabeth, saying, "As much as I hate to say it, the two cackling idiots are correct…it's Levi…_O_…sa.  But don't worry, Ron and Harry didn't get it right the first time either…or the second time…or the third time…"

"Hey!"

"…and to be honest, I don't know if they _ever_ got it right."

Elizabeth laughed at the two boys' affronted looks.  Snape smirked again.

Hermione assured her that her wand movements were correct, so Elizabeth practiced the words a few times before trying again.

Executing a beautiful 'swish and flick', Elizabeth properly intoned, "_Wingardium__ Leviosa_."

The feather shot up, and punched a hole into the ceiling.

With a startled 'Eep!' Elizabeth almost dropped her wand, fumbling with it, before both hands grabbed hold and clutched it to her chest.

The three Gryffindors looked at the ceiling in shock.

"Well, that was…unexpected." Snape drawled blandly, as pieces of rock crumbled down onto the table.

*****************************************************************

It took Elizabeth a couple of days to get used to her wand.  Snape was thankful that they were having Elizabeth's lessons in another room, as her first few spells went awry in a _big_ way.

With _'Lumos'_, she nearly blinded them all, with _'Lecarnum Inflamaré'_ she had completely melted the candle and set the table on fire, with _'Alohamora'_, she blew a hole in the door, and her first transfiguration attacked Ron.  Elizabeth was upset until both Hermione and Snape explained that this was normal during the adjustment period of getting a new wand.

Needless to say, Elizabeth was ecstatic when her first spell went right.  This happened to be during Harry's lesson, and they both happily watched as several small balls floated drunkenly in the air, bouncing off the ceiling.

Taking a break, Harry transfigured his chair into a bean-bag, and sprawled on it.  As Elizabeth continued to watch the floating items, Harry pulled an object out of his pocket, and began to fiddle with it.  He accidentally opened it, which made it let out loud and screechy wailing.

Elizabeth clapped her hands over her ears as she whipped her head around to where Harry was sitting.

"W-what was _that_?!" she stuttered with a pained voice.

"I'm sorry!  I'm sorry!  I didn't mean to open it!" Harry apologized frantically, having closed the lid of the egg immediately.

"It's…it's OK, Harry.  My hearing is much better, though I wouldn't want to test it with that again for a while."

"I'm sorry, Elizabeth.  I really didn't mean to open it.  It's…it's something to do with the Tri-wizard tournament…my second task in it, I mean.  I just don't know what I'm supposed to do with it."  Harry looked at the egg in frustration.

Elizabeth held out her hand, gesturing for the young boy to hand it to her.  After he placed it in her hand, she held it up to her face, turning it over and around, looking at it closely.  Harry assumed she could see through the veil, even though he couldn't see her.

Cocking her head at him, Elizabeth said, "You should take your friend's advice, Harry…take a bath."

"Wha…who…how?" Harry gaped at her before blurting out, "Are you psychic?"

Elizabeth chuckled, handing the egg back as she said, "No…no…I just know a house-elf who happened to overhear your conversation with that Hufflepuff boy."

"Oh."

"I don't know if taking a bath will work, but what have you got to lose?"

"Nothing, I guess," Harry gave a half-laugh.

"So, take a bath.  Now."

"Are you trying to get rid of me?" the dark-haired boy gave her a fake hurt look.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because you need a bath, stinky."  Elizabeth laughed at him.

Harry stuck his tongue out at her.

"I would be careful who you stick that out at, Mr. Potter," a voice said from across the room.  "Someone might want to cut it off and use it in a potion."

The young boy whipped his head around, and blushed when he saw his potions professor.

"And Elizabeth is correct…you _do_ need a bath…and a haircut…and new clothes…and a new personality…and…"

"Severus!" Elizabeth gave him a look of disapproval. 

"My apologies for speaking the truth, Mr. Potter."

"Severus!" Elizabeth's voice took on a hard tone.

"It's OK, Elizabeth," Harry said, standing up and looking embarrassed.

"No it's not, Harry," the young woman said.  She adjusted her veil to expose her eyes, and reaching out a hand to cup his cheek, she looked into his with a warm expression.  "It is _not_ OK for someone to criticize you, especially when it's done with the intent to hurt."

Harry dropped his gaze from hers, flustered at her words.

Stroking his cheek with her thumb, Elizabeth continued softly, "Harry, you are a handsome and delightful young man, and I enjoy your company immensely.  Never think you are less than you are, and never believe it when someone says that.  Got it?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

Harry peeked back up to see her eyes smiling at him.

"But you still need a bath," Elizabeth said with a laugh in her voice.

Harry laughed.

"Yes, Ma'am!  Right away Ma'am!"  Harry gave her a cheeky grin and salute, and said his goodbyes.

Elizabeth re-adjusted her veil before turning towards the dark-haired man, an angry look on her face.  

"And just _what_ has he done to you to deserve your sharp tongue, Severus!"

"He has been the bane of my existence for the past four-and-a-half years!"

"He is just a child!  Because of the dangerous aspects of creating potions, your acidic remarks may be well deserved to keep the children in line in your classroom, but no child deserves to be ridiculed like that!  Not for _who_ he is!  Not for _what_ he looks like!  That was deliberately cruel, Severus!" Elizabeth was glorious in her fury.  "I ask again…_what_ has he _done_ to _you_?!"

Snape was at a loss for words…he had no reason to give her.

She said nothing, and, giving him one last glare, moved towards the door leading to her room.  Pointing her wand over her shoulder, she yelled, "_Finite Incantatum!_"

The balls floating on the ceiling didn't just drop…they shot down towards the ground, several hitting the dark-haired man, who covered his head with his arms. 

After the balls had all fallen to the ground, Snape noticed they still vibrated with magic.

Damn…he was going to have to apologize to Potter if he wanted to make things right with Elizabeth.

He hated apologizing.

***************************************************************

It had been a week, but Harry was still shaken over the second task.  Though he successfully completed the task, he never really knew how much his friends meant to him until he saw them tied up, helpless, under the lake.  He was quiet as he followed his two friends on their trip to Hogsmeade.  But as he drew closer to the small town, he inevitably became excited at the prospect of seeing his godfather again.

Their visit with Sirius was all too brief, though…and somewhat depressing.  There were so many things to think about now…Death Eaters, Dark Marks, Fathers turning their backs on their sons, and why Harry was involved in the Tri-Wizard Tournament.  It was enough to make _anyone_ crazy, much less a teenage boy.

The only funny thing about their visit, though, was Sirius' flustered expression at their teasing.  But, hey, if you had a bag full of letters to a young beautiful woman foisted on you by a smitten suitor, what would you do?  The teasing could have been _much_ worse.

"Well, Dumbledore said I couldn't owl the letters, but that I could still write them.  He said he would make arrangements for someone to pick them up every once in a while," Sirius said, pink cheeked.  He ran a hand through his matted hair as he said in frustration, "It's been over two months, and he hasn't sent anyone yet, so I thought I'd have you bring them back with you.  I just want to make sure she doesn't forget who I am."

"Uh-huh…so…when's the wedding?" Harry grinned cheekily.

"Prat!" Sirius swatted at him, cheeks flaming again.

The three students laughed at the flustered man, Harry humming the wedding march as he avoided Sirius' hands.

It was a good ending to their visit, and after transforming into his animagus form, Sirius escorted the children to the edge of the small village.

Yelling out their good-byes, the three Gryffindor students made their way to back to Hogsmead, then on to Hogwarts. 

Harry wondered if, when he gave the sack of letters to Elizabeth, he should warn her of the rivalry between his godfather and Professor Snape.

_'Hmmm…I'd better.  If I don't, Snape will inevitably blame me for it, somehow.  It doesn't matter that he apologized the last time – in a round-a-bout way, with a lot of large words – he'd find some way to make it my fault, and rip me a new one when Elizabeth wasn't there to stop him.'_

He'd give the letters to her in a few days, when he was alone with her.

Decision made, Harry swung the sack on to his shoulder and caught up to his friends.  

**************************************************************

_'It is time.  She _must_ remembers.'_

_'Now?'___

_'Now.'___

A brightly dressed house-elf placed an object on a platter, covering it with the matching dome lid, and placed it in the middle of the tea tray.  Surrounding it with the pot and two teacups, he snapped his fingers, causing the entire tray to disappear from the kitchen and appear to the one who ordered it.

The house-elves sat quietly for a moment before returning to their tasks.  Their job was over.  They would still protect her until her body was completely healed, but the time for protecting her memory was over.

It was time she remembered who and _what_ she was.

**********************************************************************

Snape entered his private quarters to see Elizabeth ensconced on her settee, a large sack sitting next to her, and several pieces of parchment and envelopes scattered across her lap and on the side-table next to where she sat.  She had look of puzzlement on her face, as she read the parchment in her hands.

"Elizabeth?  What is all this?"

The young woman raised her confused eyes to his, but hesitated in answering.

"Elizabeth?"

"It's…they're…" she waived her hands in confusion, but stopped for a moment to give him a hard look.  "Promise you won't get mad?"

"Why would I be mad?"

"Because all these are from someone named Sirius, and Harry told me that you absolutely _loathe_ him," Elizabeth burst out, waiving her hands at the scattered letters.

Snapes jaw tightened.

"I just…I don't know who he is, or why he's writing me so many letters," Elizabeth continued, confused, "but Harry said that he was part of the group that...uh…helped me come back, and that he was there when I woke up.  I just don't remember much before you found me."

Snape continued to be silent, a muscle ticking in his cheek.  

"Oh, don't be like that, Severus," Elizabeth gave him a look of reproach at his silent anger.  "Just by reading a few of these, I get the impression that you used to be school rivals.  I just don't see why you've continued this…this…_feud_ for so long.  It's been, what, fifteen, twenty years?"

He crossed his arms, giving her a sharp nod.

Elizabeth sighed, shaking her head.  "I don't see how someone can hold a grudge for that long.  What happened?"

"He tried to get me killed," Snape said abruptly.

"Ahhh…well, yes…_that_ would be understandable…sort of.  I haven't gotten to that letter yet, I guess."

"I doubt Mr. Black will have written about _that_ incident, Elizabeth.  It would put him in a very bad light with you, which I'm sure he is trying to do with _me_.  Am I correct?"

"You know him so well, Severus.  Though I find his views of you to be quite…amusing.  I never knew you were the vindictive sort, and some of your actions were very…creative."  Elizabeth smirked.  "I like that."

Snape snorted in amusement.  "You would."

Elizabeth laughed.

"As amusing as the thought of that _mutt_ courting you is, I would appreciate it if you would keep that…_rubbish_ out of my private quarters, Elizabeth."

"Courting me?  He doesn't even know me!"

"You didn't see him giving you moon-eyes while you were unconscious.  He was quite taken with you, Elizabeth.  Though, if he got to know you as I have, he would run in the other direction," Snape smirked at her.

Elizabeth stuck her tongue out at him.

"Potions, my dear.  Potions."

She laughed at his threat.

Shaking his head in amusement, he asked if she wanted some tea.  Elizabeth nodded, then collected the strewn letters, returning them to the sack.  She took the sack to her private quarters while Snape called up a house-elf to order the tea.

On her return, she heard Snape give an exclamation of surprise.

"What is it, Severus?"

Snape turned towards her, a domed lid in one hand, and an odd shaped object in the other.  He looked confused.

It was long piece of wood.  Thick on one end, where the dark-haired man clasped it, but tapering off to a sharp point at the other end.  It was a…a...

Elizabeth collapsed.  She barely heard Snape's panicked 'Elizabeth', as she was bombarded by memories…one after another.

She remembered.  

She remembered…everything.

**************************************************************

Snape looked at the platter in confusion.  He hadn't ordered anything to eat.

Lifting the lid only confused him even further.  On the platter lay a long piece of wood, tapered to a point.  But its purpose was beyond him.

He gave out a sound of surprise as he grasped the thicker end with one hand, lifting it just as he heard Elizabeth re-enter the room.  Turning towards her as she called out a question to him, he saw her look at what he carried in his hands.  When her eyes fell upon the piece of wood, she paled, then collapsed.

"Elizabeth!"

Snape dropped the objects in his hands as he rushed to where Elizabeth lay on the floor, body shaking, and eyes darting around as if she was watching a snitch dart around in front of her face.

He gently gathered her in his arms, and, removing her veil, stroked her hair while calling out her name again and again.

Snape didn't know how long they were in that pose before Elizabeth's body finally relaxed, but it felt like an eternity.

"Elizabeth?"

"S-Severus?"

"What happened, Elizabeth?"

"I-I remember."

"Remember what?"

"Everything."

With that, Elizabeth burst into tears.

Snape clutched the young woman to him, rocking her gently as she wept into his robes.

Elizabeth cried for a long time.  At some point, Snape took her to her room, laying her upon the bed, but continued to hold her.

Just before she fell asleep, she whispered, "I wish you could make me forget again, Severus."

***********************************************************

Snape, thankful it was a weekend, cancelled Elizabeth's lessons with the Golden Trio, stating that Elizabeth was feeling unwell.  The three Gryffindors took it in stride, Hermione taking advantage of the freed-up time to get in her own extra studying.

Elizabeth hadn't emerged from her room yet, though he could hear her rustling around.

Knowing she would appear soon, Snape ordered breakfast for both of them, choosing not to attend the meal in the Great Hall, as he felt that Elizabeth may need him.

As he was setting the plates of food on a small two-person table, transfigured from his desk, he heard her enter the room.  Looking up, he saw her standing there hesitantly; face pale, eyes red-rimmed.  She had foregone the veil, and her hair delicately framed her face.

Silently gesturing her towards the table, he held out a chair for her.

As she gracefully sat, Snape placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"I've taken the liberty of canceling your lessons for the day," he said, then hesitated before continuing, "If you wish to…talk, I will be here."

Elizabeth looked down at her plate, hands folded in her lap.  When Snape sat across from her, she took a deep breath then looked at him.

"I-I will tell you.  I…_need_ to tell you," she began quietly, "but only _you_."

"But…"

"I still cannot be his tool yet, Severus.  You will understand once I tell you."

"Very well, Elizabeth," Snape said reluctantly.

The two quietly ate their meal.  Once they were done, Snape called for a house-elf to take the dishes away.  Dobby answered personally, bringing a rolled up paper with him, which he handed to Elizabeth with a sad smile.

The blonde-woman unrolled it, looked at the cover page, then returned Dobby's sad smile with one of her own.  Thanking the small elf, she gestured that he could go, which he did, quietly.

Snape looked on curiously, wondering what was written to make her look so sad.  When Elizabeth held it out to him, he eagerly took it, and read the headline.

.

**                               Slayer Defeats Hellgoddess, Then Dies In Portal**

                                                        By Daniel Sideburn

.

When he saw the unmoving picture of his very own Elizabeth on the bottom left-hand corner, he gasped, whipping his wide-eyed gaze up to look at her.

"You…you're _her_!"

When Elizabeth nodded in confirmation, Snape staggered over to his chair by the fire, and fell heavily into it, dropping his hand that held the paper into his lap.  He gaped at her.

"I take it you know what a Slayer is?"

"Most of the wizarding world now thinks she is a myth, but knowledge of Slayers is a well-kept secret within the ministry."

Elizabeth gave him a curious look, so he continued.

"Over a thousand years ago, the Ministry broke off a long and close association with an organization within the Muggle world…the organization that was in charge of the Slayer line.  I believe it was called the Watcher's Council," Snape explained.

The young woman stiffened at that, but gestured for him to continue.

"At that time, it was a well-known fact that the young girls who were slated as possible Slayers came from wizarding families.  Since Slayer's were called at such a young age, these girls were taught magic at an earlier age than normal, in order to give them a greater advantage for their survival," Snape said with a far-off expression, as he tried to remember the details.  "If I recall, the reason the Ministry broke off contact was due to the Head of the Watcher's Council's decision to have the potential Slayers focus on the physical aspects of their training, feeling that the girls relied too much on magic to fulfill their duties.  The Ministry of Magic disagreed, but as the young girls were under the Watcher's Council's guardianship, they had no say in the matter."

Elizabeth made a sound of dismay, and sat heavily on the settee across from him, her face even paler than before.

"Elizabeth?"

"All those girls…they needlessly died when it might have been prevented!"

"What do you mean?"

The young woman dragged her gaze to the dark-haired man's as she asked, "How long did the Slayer's survive when they were using magic, Severus?"

"Survive?  I don't remember if it mentioned how many died, but I believe most of them lasted about 10 to 15 years before they were retired."

Elizabeth let out a choked sob, asking, "Retired?"

"Yes…from what I remember reading, the Watcher's Council had a way of passing on the Slayer line to the next girl, without their death, once it was deemed that the current Slayer had fulfilled her duties.  Why are you so surprised?"

Turning her face towards the fire, Elizabeth responded in a pained voice, "Because the current average life-span of a Slayer is less than one year, Severus.  I'm the oldest Slayer on record for the last thousand years…and I've only been active for 5 years!"

"Less than a year?!" Snape sputtered in shock.

"The only reason that I've lasted this long is because they didn't discover me until I was actually activated.  I grew up as a normal child…I had a life, I had parents, I had friends.  I wasn't some Council-trained drone, taken from my family at birth, and taught only think about how to kill the monsters."  Elizabeth stood, and paced in front of the fireplace, agitated.  "When I became the Slayer, they sent a Watcher to train me, and it was only by some miracle that Merrick, my first Watcher, didn't believe in the rules they had been forcing Slayers to live by.  Giles, his replacement, was just as adamant in that belief.  I refused to let them isolate me, and they didn't.  I demanded that I was allowed to have a life, and they let me have one.  When my friends wanted to join the fight, they let them join."

Halting her pacing, she turned to look at him, giving him a fierce look of conviction, "My friends and family were the only reason I survived.  They gave me something to live for."

"Tell me," Snape said softly, holding out a strong hand to her, which she clasped gratefully.

Kneeling before him, she laid her head against his knee, and spoke of the past five years, leaving no details out, and grasping his hand like it was a life-line.

And Snape listened to her stories, stroked her hair when she cried, held her hand strongly when she spoke of her hardships.  He shared her pain.

And it hurt.

*****************************************************

He sat in front of the fireplace, glass of fire-whiskey in his hand.  He took a sip.

Nothing good he had done in his life could compare to what she has done.

Nothing _bad_ he had done in his life could compare to what _they_ did to all those girls.

He swirled the contents of his glass then took another sip.

How had she survived such a life?

Sip.

That _damn_ council!

Sip.

Letting children fight…

Sip.

…without being fully armed...

Sip.

….in _magic_!

Sip.

Survival rate of less than a year…

Sip.

…for a thousand years…

Sip.

…that's _one thousand needless deaths_!  Of _children!_

He threw his half-full glass into the fireplace, watching as the flames burned higher for a moment.  

A thought passed through his mind, and he froze.  His eyes widening, he swiftly stood, grabbing a small canister on the mantle.  Opening it, he took a small handful and threw it into the fire.

When the fire turned green, he barked out, "Headmaster Dumbledore."

The familiar visage of the old man appeared in Snape's fireplace, asking, "What may I do for you Severus?"

"I need to speak with you, Albus.  May I enter?"

"Of course, of course."

The Headmaster's head disappeared, and Snape grabbed another small handful of floo powder.  Stepping into the green flames, he tossed the powder at his feet and clearly stated, "Headmaster's office," and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Exiting gracefully on the other end, the dark-haired man took a seat in front of Dumbledore's desk and pinned him with his gaze.

"Elizabeth has remembered."

The old man looked pleased.

"And what can you tell me about our guest?"

"Only that Elizabeth is, without a doubt, on the side of light.  She is trustworthy, Albus.  That is all I can say."

"Nothing more, such as why she is here?"

"For right now, only to heal.  She believes that, when the time is right, she will be told her purpose here.  But that is not why I needed to see you, Albus."

Dumbledore arched an eyebrow at the potions master, gesturing him to continue.

"I need to borrow the Hogwarts Book of Wizards and Witches." 

"Severus!  You know that book is sacrosanct, only to be viewed by the current Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress!" The Headmaster gave him a serious look.

"I know, Albus, but it is imperative that I see it."

"Might I ask why?" 

"It was something Elizabeth said," Snape responded, running an agitated hand through his hair.  "I can't go into details, Albus, but it has to do with a thousand needless deaths, and the possible prevention of more."

"Who died, Severus.  Can you tell me that much?"

"Children, Albus…_children_," Snape said softly.

The Headmaster stood.  Walking over to a pedestal next to Fawkes, he picked up a large tome.  Returning to his desk, he placed it gently before the troubled man.

"Take as long as you need, Severus, but do not let the book leave Hogwarts."

"Yes, Sir," he said gratefully.

Gathering the book in his arms, he returned to his quarters.  And, for the remainder of the night, he copied names and addresses of all the students, for the last 50 years, who rejected their Hogwarts acceptance letter.

In the wee hours of morning, Snape rubbed a hand over his eyes, then continued to run his finger down the names listed on the page he was currently reviewing.  As his finger stopped on the next name that had 'rejected' next to it, he dropped his quill in shock.  It read:

_Rupert Giles_

*********************************************************

Although he didn't want to leave Elizabeth alone, Snape felt that he should make an appearance in the hall for lunch…if only to dispel any rumors that he was on his deathbed.  Couldn't let the children begin their celebration too early…he planned to make their lives miserable for a _long_ time.

Not bothering to become involved in any of the conversations that flowed around him, he ate quickly.  Once finished, he pushed his chair back, and made his exit out the professor's door, and swiftly walked down the corridors that eventually led him to the entrance to the dungeons.

"Professor!  Professor!"

Snape halted his long stride, and turned to see his favorite (not!) trio of students.

Giving them a sneer, he snapped, "What is it?  Lost your way to the Golden Tower?"

"Um…no, sir.  We just wanted to find out when Elizabeth's lessons were going to start again, Sir."

"I will inform you as soon as I know," Snape growled, turning to leave.

His escape was halted by a wispy voice calling out to him.

"Ahhh…my dear Professor Snape.  How are you this day, my dear?  And how is your patient?" the colorfully dressed woman 

Snape sighed heavily in resignation, shoulders drooping.  He glared at the three children, who were almost failing to hold back their giggles.

"Good afternoon, Sybil.  As well as can be expected.  And none of your business," Snape barked out.  "If you will excuse me, your perfume is beginning to give me a headache.

Before he could stalk off, the annoying professor of Divinations, also known as Sybil Trelawney, placed a hand on his arm to catch his attention again.  On contact with the potions master's arm, she immediately stiffened, her eyes rolled back, and her voice deepened to a harsh one they had never heard from her before.

"Beware the Ides of March.  Through an ancient God of the Undead, a dark magic will call for the warrior of the people.  The warrior must not be taken by the dark force, or all is lost.  Make your claim to the dead god.  Break the crook and flail, and crush the urn.  The warrior has already been returned.  Beware the Ides of March.  The warrior must not be taken by the dark force, or all is lost."

The three students and one adult gaped at the Divinations professor as she shook her head, eyes fluttering.

"What was I saying.  Oh…yes…if you should ever want your tea leaves read, my dear, come to my tower."  

She pat the dark-haired man's arm, then turned towards the Great Hall, leaving four confused people in her wake.

Snape shook off the icy finger of dread that had crept up his spine.  Turning sharply towards the three gawking students, he growled, "Come with me….NOW!"

Stalking down to the dungeons, the potions master headed towards his office, the three students scrambling behind him.

Upon reaching the door, he flung it opened, and sharply gestured the three Gryffindors to enter, shutting the door firmly behind him.  Pulling his wand out, he intoned several locking and silencing charms, then made his way to the chair behind his desk.

"Sit!"

They sat, looking uncertainly at each other.

Snape leaned forward pinning the three students with his sharp gaze.

"It has been known, by very few people, that Professor Trelawney _occasionally_ has true predictions.  I believe we have just witnessed one, of which, _none_ of you will speak of to _anyone_.  Is that understood?!"

"But…"

"_No one_…not even the Headmaster, Mr. Potter!"

Harry quailed at the fierce look on his professor's face, and it was Hermione who scraped up the courage to question him.

"Why, Sir?  Shouldn't the Headmaster know about this?"

"I will allow your impertinence just this one time Ms. Granger, since you don't know of the latest developments."

Snape stood and, turning, walked to the space behind his chair.  Clasping his hands behind his back, he took a moment to think, before turning back to the three unusually silent Gryffindors.

"Miss Elizabeth has not been ill, Ms. Granger.  She regained her memories the day before yesterday, which caused her some…distress.  She revealed her identity to me, and we spoke at length.  And before you ask…no, I cannot tell you…nor can I tell _anyone_, and that includes the Headmaster."

"But…"

"No, Ms. Granger.  Knowing what I know now, I understand.  She is still in a vulnerable stage, and could be easily overcome by those who would use her, including the Headmaster."

"Professor Dumbledore wouldn't do that!" Hermione exclaimed, affronted at the thought.

"The Albus Dumbledore _you_ know, and the one that_ I _know are two different people, Ms. Granger.  To you, he is a kind and benevolent old man.  To me, he is a manipulative old coot, of which even Mr. Potter can attest to some degree."

Harry rolled his eyes, nodding his head in agreement. 

"Now, I'm sure Miss Elizabeth would _appreciate_ it if you would keep quiet about what just happened.  Understood?"

Hermione reluctantly agreed.  Ron just nodded his head emphatically, eyes wide with fear of the snarky man.

"You are dismissed," Snape said, waving his wand to unlock the door.  "And, Ms. Granger…leave the prediction alone.  I will take care of interpreting it."

Ron and Harry almost ran out the door, but Hermione hesitated for a moment.  Making a quick decision, she shut the door and turned back to the scowling man.

"Sir.  I don't know who the 'warrior of the people' is, but the Ides of March has to do with an old Roman calendar…it means the date of March 15th, which is coming up in a few days.  And though there may not be any connection, the only reference I know of is in a muggle book by William Shakespeare called Julius Caesar."  Hermione made to open the door again, but stopped again.  "Oh!  And…um…the crook and flail is a symbol of authority when carried by an ancient Egyptian king.  It looks like a small scepter crossed by a whip.  I believe it's usually associated with the god Osiris, who is also known as the God of the Undead.  I-I hope that helps, Sir."

Snape sighed in resignation.

"Twenty points to Gryffindor, Ms. Granger.  Now go, before I beat my head against my desk for awarding points to your house _again_."

Hermione blushed and quickly exited the office.

The bushy haired girl leaned against the door she had just closed behind her.  Her eyes sparkled in delight.  She gave a soft squeal of excitement over receiving more points from the reticent Slytherin professor.  This was the _second _time!

She was on a roll!

*************************************************************

Elizabeth traced her fingers over and over the words, as if by touching them, she could become closer to the person it described.

.

_Rupert Giles_

_DOB __08/07/52___

_Guardian:  Aiden Quinn, CoW_

_Hogwarts First Year, 1963_

_Acceptance Letter:  REJECTED_

.

He would have _loved_ this world, with all the magic and magical creatures that abound in it.  She could even see him owning a kneazle.  She smiled at that thought, which turned into a sad expression.  He was denied this world, by overbearing, power-hungry control freaks…and so were thousands of young girls and boys.  Snape had given her a list that said so.

Giles thought she was dead, and she couldn't tell him otherwise.  It wasn't safe for her to return to her home, and she didn't know if that was what the Powers That Be had in store for her.

Until she was told otherwise, she had to stay where she was…and let her friends and _sister_ believe she had perished in the last fight.

A tear trickled down her flushed face.

God…she missed them!

********************************************************************

_"…it's time," a female voice said firmly.  
"It's time? Like, *time* time? With the...timeliness?" a panicked male voice responded._

_"Are you sure?" a second female voice questioned._

_"I am," the first female voice said confidently._

_"Mercury's in retrograde, and we have..." a soft third female voice stopped for a moment, then addressed the first female.  "Do we have everything?"_

_The first female confirmed, "Just about."_

_Still flustered, the male voice said, "But why the sudden rushy-rush? I mean, did the bot blow our cover at school?"_

_"No, she did great, she impressed all the teachers," the third female responded with a smile in her voice._

_"And they still thought it was Buffy?" the male voiced responded, amazed._

_From a short distance away, the first female said, "Tomorrow night, we'll meet back here."  
The male exclaimed in alarm, "Whoa! Let's apply the brakes and check the rear- and side-view mirrors here."_

_They all look at him silently. _

_The male, in a much calmer voice said, "This is deep stuff, __Willow__. We're talking about raising the dead."_

_In a no-nonsense voice, __Willow__ responded, "It's time we stop talking. Tomorrow night ... we're bringing Buffy back."_

"Oy, Harry!  Wake up!  You're going to miss breakfast!  And we have early potions class today!"

Harry shot up to a sitting position, rubbing his eyes before glaring at his read-headed friend.

Ron smirked at him, tapping his watch, showing Harry that he had less than thirty minutes to get dressed and down to breakfast in the Great Hall before he was due in class.

The messy-haired teen cursed under his breath as he jumped out of bed, grabbed his clothes, and high-tailed it to the boys shower.

The remnants of the dream lingered, and Harry wondered who Willow and Buffy were.  Pushing it to the back of his mind, Harry hurriedly got dressed, and concentrated on more important current issues…Food.

He never noticed that his scar had a fading white glow.

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Snape was eerily silent, making the students shift fearfully in their seats.  It was the Gryffindor/Slytherin fourth year morning potions class…Snape was _never_ silent in this class – Harry was in it, and that was enough to usually make Snape snarkier than usual.

But, after giving the students instructions to read several chapters of their potions text, the dark-haired man hovered over the mysterious Hogwarts guest as she brewed a simple potion.

The Gryffindor Trio exchanged concerned glances.  It was March 15th…the Ides of March.  Whatever Trelawney predicted was going to happen today…if it really _was_ a true prediction.

Five minutes into class, Malfoy, arrogant prick that he was, decided that his Head of House's distraction was a good opportunity to aggravate the Gryffindors at the desk next to him, which happened to be Harry and Ron.

Extracting his wand, he quickly transfigured their chairs into pin-cushions, making the two boys yell out in pain, causing all heads to turn in their direction.

"Mr. Malfoy!  Don't think I didn't notice what you're doing."

Snape stalked up to where the blonde-haired youth was gaping, and leaned forward to glare at him.

"_Do not_ toy with my patience, boy!" Snape snarled at him, causing the teen to recoil.  "Twenty points from Slytherin and detention with Mr. Filch for 3 days.  This, of course, will be after your current detention…and just be thankful that I don't have you cleaning _under_ that room!"

A gasp distracted him, and he looked to where the sound came from…back at his desk.

Elizabeth was swaying on her feet, and she called out weakly, "S-Severus," before collapsing to the ground, arching her back in pain.

Screams were heard as Snape yelled for everyone to get out.  He rushed to the young woman's side as the students scrambled to follow his order.

Gathering the young woman in his arms, he called her name.

Elizabeth grasped the front of his robes as she gasped out, "Trying to…take me…back…Willow…"

Harry, having just taken his first step away from his desk when he heard Elizabeth say a name from his dream, rushed to where the two adults were, and dropped to his knees.

"Sir!"

"I said to get out, Mr. Potter!" Snape snarled.

"But Sir…I had a dream this morning that mentioned the name Elizabeth just said…Willow.  I-I don't know what it was about, but they also mentioned someone by the name of Buffy, and they were talking about raising the dead!  Does that mean anything to you?"

Snape swore.

"Get the Headmaster, Mr. Potter!  And have someone get Professor McGonagall!  Now!"

Harry rushed to comply, only pausing when Snape called out to him again.

"Once they get here, Mr. Potter, I need you and Ms. Granger to cordon of the hallway to this classroom.  No one is to get _near_ this room.  Do you understand!"

"Yes Sir!"

Harry ran out of the room, grabbing Ron as he shouted for Hermione to block the door.

The two boys ran through the line of students, yelling at them to get out of the way.  Harry quickly told Ron to tell McGonagall to go to the potions room asap, and the two parted ways at the top of the main level stairs.

Both parties took the short way back…through the inter-school floo system, meeting in the potions room in less than five minutes.  The two boys were quickly shooed out of the room, with instructions to tell the students to return to their common rooms until their next class, then to barricade the door and hallway.

"Severus!  What's happening?!" McGonagall exclaimed, flustered to see their guest writhing in pain in the potions master's arms.  "Aren't we hurting her more by being here?"

"It's beyond that, Minerva.  Elizabeth's friends are trying to take her back…trying to raise the friend they believe is dead!  They're attempting to call back her soul…to put it into that _body_ you transfigured from a bench!" Snape yelled.  "And they're succeeding!"

"Oh Merciful Heavens!" McGonagall fluttered her hands in shock.  "That shouldn't be possible!  That transfiguration should have ended long ago!"

"Well it didn't, and now they're trying to put her in there!"

"What can we do, Severus?" Dumbledore said calmly.  "Tell us, and we'll do it."

Snape clutched the young woman to him as he addressed the Headmaster.  "I have to go in, Albus.  I have to follow the magic back to its source and break the connection, but I don't have the power to do both."

"But that's too dangerous, Severus!  You know what will happen if the power at the other end is stronger than you are…we could lose you too!" McGonagall exclaimed in fear.

"If she dies, we die, Minerva," Snape said calmly, giving the Deputy Headmistress a fierce look.

"I will share my power with you, my dear boy.  Do what you need to do," Dumbledore interrupted the two other professors with his soothing voice.

McGonagall hesitated a moment before she also agreed to share her power.

"Minerva, I need to break the transfiguration.  You know what that will do to you," Snape said softly.

McGonagall looked pained for a moment before responding, "It will back-lash.  I understand, Severus.  I will only be able to give you a portion of my power then, as I will need to set up barriers so the recoil doesn't kill me.  Will that be sufficient?"

The dark-haired man nodded sharply.  "We must hurry, or we'll lose her!"

The Deputy Headmistress quickly set up several shielding spells, then both she and the Headmaster raised their wands and incanted a spell.

Snape gathered their offered power then, wrapping his own around it, he whispered a spell.  His essence jumped into Elizabeth, quickly finding the line of power and began to follow it to its source.

Back in the potions room, his body slumped over the form it held.

***********************************************************

"Osiris! Here lies the warrior of the people. Let her cross over."

Willow winces in pain, blood running from the cuts on her arms, and round shapes moving under her skin. She gives a little moan of pain. 

The round things move up her arms and over her chest toward her neck. 

"She needs help!" Xander yelled.

"Xander, she's strong! She said not to stop, no matter what. If we break the cycle now, it's over," Tara pleaded with the dark-haired man.

They all watch anxiously as Willow continued to breathe heavily. 

"Osiris, let her cross over! Aah..."

Willow makes choking noises, the round things under her skin moving up her neck. 

"Oh my god, oh my god," Tara said in a panicked voice.

Willow leans forward putting her hands on the ground, gagging.  A snake head appears in her open mouth. As her fingers clutch the grass, the snake slithers out her mouth and onto the ground. The others look horrified. 

Tara tries to calm herself as she softly chants to herself, "It's a test. It's a test. Willow..."

Willow is leaning over the ground with her mouth still open as a swirl of mist forms, unnoticed by the others, at the foot of Buffy's grave.

Anya, Xander, and Tara continue staring as orange light swirls around Willow, who is kneeling up again, panting loudly. 

"Osiris, release her!" Willow yells out.

A deep voice cut in sharply, "Osiris!  Hear me!"

The four young adults look towards where the voice was coming from.  A dense mist swirled at the foot of Buffy's grave.  As the two men and two women watched, the mist quickly formed into the shape of a man with prominent features, colors eventually settling to show that he had long dark hair, and black eyes.

The man ignored them as he shouted out again, "Osiris!  Hear me!  I make claim to the soul of Buffy Summers!"

"No!" Willow screamed.

"The warrior has found her place at my side!  I claim her as mine!" the man roared.

"Osiris!  Hear me!  Release the warrior of the people!  Let her cross over!"

While the red-head was distracted in making her own plea, Snape waved his hand at the object in front of her, calling it to him.  It was the snake, which had, unnoticed by the others, changed into a crook and flail.  As soon as it hit his hand, Snape raised it above his head.

"Osiris!  By the symbol of authority I hold, I make my claim!  The warrior has found her place at my side!  I claim her as mine!  Hear me!"

Thunder crashed in the sky and wind whipped around the five people fighting for one soul.

The two supplicants were interrupted by another person.  Snape's eyes widen as he sees Elizabeth running up to them.  But, as he took a closer look, he could see that it, whatever it was, wasn't as graceful as his Elizabeth.  It looked fake…unreal.

"Willow! I need service!" the _thing_ said to the red-head, who, apparently, was Willow.

At a loud growling sound, the Elizabeth-shaped thing looked behind her and ran off just as several demons on motorcycles rode up.

The four adults jump up as the motorcycles raced past them, chasing the blonde-haired form.

Willow turned towards the dark-haired man, locking her gaze with his.

"Who are you?!" she demanded.

Giving her a smirk, he just waived his hand, causing one of the motorcycles to whip around and return in their direction.

Willow jumped out of the way, but was then forced to watch in horror as demon ran his bike over the Urn of Osiris, shattering it.

"Nooooooooo!" the red-head screamed, falling to her knees, scrambling to gather the pieces together.

Willow's gaze whipped up in anger towards the ethereal form that had caused the destruction of the only object that would have brought her best friend back to them.  Her eyes begin to turn dark.

The man looked at her with derision.  "Foolish child!  You should not have sought to return that which has already been restored."

With those last words, the dark-haired man broke the crook and flail over his knees and dropped the pieces to the ground.

With a last gesture at the grave, the man's shape became misty again, and quickly disappeared.

***********************************************************

Snape came back to his body with a deeply-felt snap.  He gasped heavily, falling onto his back, clasping the unconscious form of Elizabeth to him.

Dumbledore looked over at him from where he was gently cradling the limp form of his Deputy Headmistress.

"Is everything all right now, Severus?" the Headmaster asked softly.

Snape slowly sat up, lifting Elizabeth with him.

"Everything is as it should be, Albus.  The danger has been permanently…terminated." 

"I hope you didn't have to harm anyone."

"No…just their ego," Snape responded with a smirk.

Both men stood, bringing their charges up with them…one with the strength of his arms, the other with the strength of his magic.

Nodding their heads at each other, they made their way out of the room, each to take care of the woman they held.

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And back in Sunnydale, a powerful red-haired witch screamed in fury.

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A/N:  Well….I have to say that this chapter was very…satisfying. grin  I didn't want to rush it, but the words just kept flowing out.  I hope I did it justice.

I know, I know…many of you were hoping for a more violent scene between Malfoy and the house-elves…blood-thirsty little buggers that you are.  Sorry to disappoint you, but it's my story, so there!  :P  I have plans for young Malfoy. (Shay strokes his blonde locks, the boy's head firmly squished between her arm and her ample breast – Malfoy squeaks out a weak 'help me', as he struggles to break free.) 

Now…reviewers...I LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU GUYS!! grin  Can you tell that I absolutely _adore_ all the reviewers who left me a note about the last chapter?  Can you do it again?  Pleeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaseee?  To those who read this at Twisting the Hellmouth…I'd like to make the list of "Top Fics" at least once, and the only way I can do that is if at least 15 of you review this chapter.  Please?  I got this chapter out in a little over 1 month…much faster than my last updates…isn't that worth something?  Like a review?  grin  That doesn't mean that those of you who are reading this a Fanfiction.net can slack off!  Go on…press that button!  Do it…you know you wanna!

I'm ecstatic that this chapter came out so quickly.  I was worried that I would crash into that writer's block wall, but I guess the "resolve face" worked really well to keep it at bay.  I hope to get the next chapter out as quickly, but can't guarantee it since I just started classes again…and Chemistry is already kicking my butt after only two weeks.  *sigh*  Friggin' chemicals…my philosophy is that…if I can't see it with the naked eye, it doesn't exist in my vocabulary…unfortunately, that doesn't fly with my Chem teacher.  Grrrr

On a different and less aggravating note…what am I missing?  So many things are going on with this story, and I could use all you readers to remind me of what still needs to be explained at this point (but if anyone says "the plot", I'm gonna waive my fist at you!).  I know that Elizabeth/Buffy's connection to the elves still needs to be explained, and her eventual "meeting" with Aragog still needs to happen.  Other than that, I've lost track of things, and will need to go back and read through the previous chapters to remember.  If you can help out, I would appreciate it!

To those who have sent me email and plan on sending it via that route again, please note that my email has changed.

And remember REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!


	9. Several Brands of Control

Note to Reader's, The Full Title is:

**When It's Time to Change, You've Got to Re-Arrange, Who You Are and What You're Gonna Be **

(The title also end's with a lot of Sha na na's, and if you understand this, you've must be as old as I am. LOL)

A/N: Oh God! I am so _terribly_ sorry about taking so long in getting this chapter out! If you remember from my last chapter, I told all of you that I was taking a chemistry class which was already kicking my assets two weeks into the semester – well guess what…it kept kicking, and kicking, and kicking. Eurgh! After spending 60 hours studying for the final, I managed to get it all done, and pass the class with a 'B' – I don't know whether to be happy that I _got_ a 'B', or grumble that it just screwed up my 4.0 GPA. Oy!

In any case, after letting my brain recover from my last final, I was back at my computer typing away at this chapter. You'll be extremely happy to know that it's about twice as long as any of the other chapters!

Thank you for being so patient with me!

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**Several Brands of Control**

Always behave like a duck--keep calm and unruffled on the surface but paddle like the devil underneath. **_Jacob Braude_**

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Willow screamed in fury.

_'Buffy belongs to _me_!! Me!! How dare he take her away!!"_

At a loud roar, Willow looked up to see the demons riding around her and the other three young adults, who were still kneeling around their friends' grave.

Yelping, Anya jumped to her feet. Xander and Tara also stood, and the three clutched each other. Looking around at the demons, they searched for an opening to escape the ring of circling motorcycles.

Willow was still on her knees by the shattered Urn of Osiris, her back to the others, which is why they didn't see her look of fury.

Seeing an opening, Xander yelled out, "Take off! Go! Go!"__

They jumped through a large gap between two motorcycles, scurrying into the trees to keep the demons from following. Running, they quickly tried to put as much distance between them and the group of mobile demons, sticking to areas with heavy foliage.

"Willow!" Tara yelled, panicked when she didn't see her girlfriend following them.

Xander and Anya stop running as they too notice the red-head's absence.

"We have to go back! Willow's still there!" Tara panted frantically.

Hesitating for a moment, Xander nodded in agreement, but Anya was reluctant.

"But the demons are back there!"

"We have to Ahn…we can't just leave her to handle it by herself…they'll kill her," Xander said as he moved to begin retracing their steps.

Tara quickly followed, leaving Anya to stand by herself…alone. She huffed, then unenthusiastically followed the two retreating backs.

========================================================

Willow slowly stood, a deep anger causing her entire body to vibrate with her fury. Her head snapped up, eyes darkened to a solid obsidian. Seeing the demons who circled her, her fury deepened.

"You! All of you! She was mine until you came! It's your fault! You did this!" Willow shouted.

The demons laughed at her, edging their motorcycles into a tighter circle.

Willow crossed her arms over her chest, fists pressed against her shoulders, and bowed her head. Taking a deep breath, she screamed '_Obtero!_', and flung her arms out as her head whipped up.

A violent ring exploded out from her, savagely shoving the demons from their bikes and into various trees and headstones. None of them got up.

Taking a look around her, a smug expression crossed Willow's face as she saw that all the demons were…dealt with…the wheels of their motorcycles still spinning.

Hearing more motorcycles and primal screaming in the distance, the red-head moved in that direction…a vicious sneer crossing her lips. If anyone had been nearby, they would have seen several strands of her hair changing from red to black.

=================================================

The three Scoobies ran back to the place where they had left their fourth member, but skidded to a halt on catching sight of the bodies left in the small clearing. Willow was nowhere to be seen.

They didn't know whether to breathe a sigh of relief, or gag in horror. If Willow wasn't there, but the crumpled carcasses of the demons were…what the _hell_ happened to their friend? Or should they say, what the hell did their friend _do_?

"Oh Goddess…" Tara softly croaked in fright.

"There she is!" Anya shouted, pointing a finger at a red-headed figure some distance away.

Xander took off after the retreating figure, Anya right on his heels.

"Willow…what did you _do_?!" Tara said, fear in her voice. She quickly ran after the couple.

Just as they were about to leave the cemetery, a motorcycle appeared out of nowhere, the demon quickly steering toward the figure of Anya. The demon grabbed the woman as he rode by, and pulled her onto his bike.

"Anya!" Xander and Tara yelled.

Tara stopped running. Holding a hand out, the blonde woman muttered a sharp '_Dissolvo_'. A ball of blue light flashed from Tara to the motorcycle, knocking Anya free.

As the motorcycle continued on, Anya hit the ground and rolled, her headlong tumble only ending when she crashed heavily into a tree. Xander ran to her side, and gently helped her to a sitting position. After taking one last glance at the retreating figure of her girlfriend, Tara quickly moved to the other side of the ex-demon.

"Xander…the world is spinning…make it stop," Anya moaned before fainting.

"Ahn? Ahn?! Come on honey, wake up."

Xander lightly tapped his girlfriend's cheeks, but there was no response.

"Tara…Willow…I-I can't leave Anya like this, and we can't take her with us…"Xander gave the blonde woman a pleading look.

"T-take her to the M-magic Box…I-I'll g-go after Willow," Tara stuttered, giving the young man an understanding look. "W-we'll meet you there."

"But…"

"I-I'll be OK, Xander. I'll s-stick to the shadows."

Xander gave his fiancé a worried look, then turned back to Tara with an uncertain expression.

"If you're sure, Tara…" Xander trailed off, not knowing what else to say.

"I-I'm sure. G-go, before the d-demons come back."

Xander gave a sharp nod, then carefully stood, bringing his unconscious fiancé with him. After giving Tara another concerned look, he wished her luck, then made his way to the Magic Box.

Tara turned and ran in the direction she last saw her girlfriend heading.

=======================================================

Willow approached the loud crowd of demons, arriving to hear the lead one giving some kind of inspirational…speech.

"…what better way to kick off our...semi-settling-down, than with a little christening?"

The crowd of demons cheered.

Willow saw a couple of them attaching chains to their motorcycles. The demons grinned at each other as the cheering continued. She walked closer.

"A symbolic act commemorating the new order around here...and ridding ourselves of any not-so-pleasant reminders of the old," the leader roars out, holding a gun in his hand. He raised it up and theatrically put a bullet in. "All in one quick, really, _really_ violent fell swoop."

Willow came right up behind a couple of the demons, still looking very angry. They didn't notice her.

Holding up the gun, the leader said, "Gentlemen, start your engines."

The demons start up their bikes, and the engines rumble as they waited for the signal.

Willow caught sight of the buffy-bot, and her eyes widen in shock.

"Bye-bye, slayer!" the leader said, firing into the air.

The bikes begin to move.

Willow screamed out, "No!" but it was too late.

The demons nearest the red-head heard her scream and turned around.

Four motorcyles begin to drive off in four different directions - each one attached to one of the buffy-bot's limbs. Her arms and legs were ripped from her body and her torso went flying.

The lead demon grinned.

The demons near Willow move aside so that all the demons could see her.

Seeing the red-head, the lead demon grinned and said, "Another one for the fire boys…tear it up!"

Willow's head whipped up, a sneer appearing on her lips. The demons near her noticed her black eyes and felt the power rolling off her. They back away quickly.

"You think you're tough, little demon? Puppy want to play violent games?" Willow mocked. "So be it."

The young woman raised her arms, calling out a sharp '_Obrigesco_' before any of them could do anything. The demons froze, unable to make any movement.

Willow sauntered among them, sneering at their frozen forms, until she finally reached the leader.

"Puppy is a bad little demon," she pouted, her lips forming a cute moue. "You interrupted my spell, demon, and it cost me my best-friend!"

Walking around the lead demon, whose eyes were rolling wildly, Willow ended up in front of him again. She leaned forward, her face just inches from his.

"So, guess what…it's gonna cost you _your_ friends," she whispered in a chilling voice.

She stepped back and turned to a group of five demons. Pointing her finger, she said, "_Contrucido_," and watched as they were cut into pieces by some invisible force.

To another group of demons, she said, "_Perfigo_," and watched as several object pierced their flesh.

'_Retrorsum_,' and a group was turned inside out. They fell to the ground screaming, their entrails spilling around them.

'_Erumpo_,' and a group of demons exploded.

The demons were systematically destroyed, each method more gruesome than the previous one, until only the leader was left.

Giving him a mocking smile, the red-head said, "Bad little demon…you know you're going to hell, don't you? Well let me give you a taste first…"

With a sharp '_Exustio_', the lead demon screamed as flames licked his flesh. The fire burned higher and hotter, until it suddenly went out, leaving a smoking corpse at the red-head's feet. She laughed.

"W-willow? What have you done?! What…?!" Tara whispered in horror as she looked around at the carnage.

"I took out the garbage," Willow laughed harshly.

Tara stared at her in terror, backing away slowly before turning and running towards the Magic Box.

===================================================

After dismissing the Golden Trio, assuring them that Elizabeth would recover, Snape began to make his way to his quarters, the petite woman firmly held in his arms. He was thankful that Elizabeth was unconscious, fearing that his touch would hurt her if she was aware of it.

Making straight for Elizabeth's room, he sat her carefully on the bed, and gently removed her cloak and veil before arranging her comfortably on the pillows.

Snape moved to the fireplace, setting it ablaze with a soft '_Inflamar_', to reduce the chill in the room. As he moved to hang the cloak in the wardrobe, he heard a whimper coming from the bed.

"Elizabeth?!" Snape called out, dropping the cloak to the floor as he rushed to the bed.

Her eyes shot open, and her face contorted in pain. Opening her mouth, she let out a scream, arching her back in pain.

"Elizabeth! What's wrong?!"

"OhGodOhGodOhGod…it hurts, Severus, it hurts," Elizabeth cried out.

"What hurts, Elizabeth? Tell me what I can do?" Snape's hands fluttered over her, wanting to help her, but afraid he may hurt her instead.

"The bonds have been broken…the restraints removed…," Elizabeth muttered through gritted teeth. She curled up into a ball.

"What are you talking about, Elizabeth? What restraints?!"

"I'm trying to hold on, but it hurts, Severus. It's tearing me apart," she whimpered.

Elizabeth rolled to her hands and knees, arching her back again as she screamed.

A bright glow surrounded her, and something began to emerge from her back…something he had seen before…

Wings.

Snape fell back from the bed, tumbling ungracefully to the floor.

"Oh Merlin! What have we done to you, Elizabeth?! What have we done?!" he whispered hoarsely.

By now, wings had fully sprouted from the young woman's back – the same gossamer wings they had seen in the infirmary…the ones they thought had disappeared as she gave up her heavenly aspect to return to the mortal world.

But they hadn't disappeared, Snape thought harshly – she hadn't given up anything…they had trapped an angel into the flesh it had abandoned upon death.

Elizabeth's cries had mellowed to soft whimpers.

"Severus…help me," she begged.

Snape crawled to the bed and drew himself up onto his knees. He watched as her hands clutched at the covers, the blonde head bowed in exhaustion.

"Oh Merlin, Elizabeth," Snape softly spoke. "What can I…how can I…"

"Help me, Severus…hold me," Elizabeth tearfully said.

The dark-haired man reached out to her, the sleeve of his robe falling back to reveal a forearm…_the_ forearm. Snape snatched his arm back, clutching it to his chest.

"I am not worthy of touching you, Elizabeth…I am tainted by darkness," he said in self-loathing as he looked shamefully away from the glowing figure.

"Please Severus…I can't…I…help me."

"But…"

"Your heart is good, Severus," Elizabeth panted out. "Your flesh may still…carry the mark,…but you have…turned away from…what it represents. You are…no longer tainted…by it."

Snape felt something shatter deep inside him at her words – an ugliness he never knew he carried.

"What can I do, Elizabeth?" Snape asked softly.

"Hold me…talk to me. The bonds that…held me to my body…have been broken…by Willow's spell. My soul longs to return…to the heavens,…though I know…I must stay," Elizabeth gasped out. "Hold me…talk to me…Let your touch…give me something…to hold on to…Let your voice…drown out…the voices…of the choir."

Snape stared at her uncertainly as he thought '_How can **I** compete with heaven_?'

"Please Severus," Elizabeth whispered, raising her head to giving him a pleading look, as she reached out a hand to gently touch his cheek with her fingertips.

He gently covered her hand with his as, with one last moment of hesitation, he stood, then carefully sat on the bed. He lay back against the pillows in a half-reclining position, and opened his arms to allow her to curl up to him.

Snape thought the wings would get in the way, but when he cautiously wrapped his arms around her, he found them to be soft and malleable, molding around her slight frame. Her body trembled as she curled up to him like a small child.

"Talk to me Severus." Elizabeth whispered brokenly as she clutched the front of his robes, placing her cheek on his chest.

His mind raced as he tried to think of something to talk about, until a poem came to mind. Snape opened his mouth, and began to speak the words in a soft voice. It was rough at first, as the dour potions master still wasn't used to speaking for any length of time, but as he continued, his voice became smooth, and he relaxed, stroking her hair as he spoke.

The hours passed as recited poetry, told her children's stories of the wizarding world, and spoke of the history of Hogwarts. When the words would no longer come, he began to softly sing old Gaelic songs his grandmother had taught him when he was young.

It was some time later that Snape noticed Elizabeth had fallen asleep. And it was with great relief to see that her wings had retracted at some point, though she still glowed with a faint luminescence.

He wondered if he was damned even further for what they had done to her.

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Tara fled to the Magic Box as if the very hounds of hell were right on her heels. She was afraid…afraid of her own lover. The Willow she knew would never have been so callous in the destruction of life, regardless of whether or not they were demons.

No. Something must have happened with the spell they attempted – it must have done something to her sweet Willow. _Her_ Willow would never _ever_ devise such malicious ways of killing demons – glorying in their pain and destruction.

She was by no means naïve enough to think that Willow wouldn't kill a demon if she had to. Tara herself, who was much more of a pacifist than her girlfriend, could muster the courage to kill demons, if necessary.

Tara sobbed as she ran, wondering if there was some way of bring _her_ Willow back.

She burst through the back door of the magic shop, startling the couple who was taking refuge in the back room. The weapons they held were lowered as they saw who it was.

"Where's Willow?!" Xander exclaimed.

"She…she…Oh Goddess…" Tara said, collapsing to the ground.

"No! She can't be dead! No!" the dark-haired young man sobbed out, falling to his knees in disbelief.

"N-no…she's alive. B-but I don't know if s-she's our Willow a-anymore," Tara stuttered as she cried.

"What happened? What did she do?" Anya asked bluntly.

"S-she killed all the d-demons."

"And what's wrong with that? That's good, isn't it? Xander…that's a good thing, right?"

"It's a good thing, Ahn…at least I think so. What's wrong with killing the demons, Tara?" Xander asked shakily as he stood back up and wrapped his arms around his confused fiancé.

"T-they w-weren't just k-killed…s-she t-tortured them," Tara sobbed out. "Oh Goddess…they were in _pieces_, Xander. H-her eyes were s-so dark!"

"Black magic. She used _black magic_," Anya stated bluntly. "Anyone who touches _that_ type of magic is someone to watch out for. Are we going to have to kill her?"

"Ahn! We _can't_ kill her…she's Willow!"

"Depending on how much she's allowed it to take over, she may not _be_ Willow anymore. Black magic is dangerous, and if the person wielding it isn't strong enough, the magic will consume them."

"I-I think W-willow is in there s-somewhere. S-she didn't t-try to hurt m-me…j-just the d-demons," Tara offered tentatively.

"See Ahn…Tara thinks she may still be Willow!" Xander stated, as if that was the end of the argument.

"Fine! But if she kills us, then I'm not going to speak to you ever again, Xander. And your penis will just have to have orgasms by itself," Anya huffed, stalking out to the front of the Magic Box.

The others quickly followed. All three abruptly halted as they saw their red-headed friend standing just inside the public doorway of the main shop.

"Now why would I want to kill you Anya…I need all of you to help me find Buffy," Willow arched an eyebrow at the three nervous-looking young adults.

While her eyes were no longer black, the hard expression on her face made them hesitate. She may _look_ like their friend, but she sure wasn't acting like her usual self.

"What do you mean '_find Buffy_'? She's still in the ground where we put her over 3 months ago," Xander said carefully.

"No she's not," Willow responded, her expression becoming even harder.

"How do you know?"

"Because I just dug her up, and _she wasn't there_," Willow said harshly.

===============================================================

Snape carefully extricated himself from the sleeping young woman, and laid her gently against the pillows he had just vacated. He pulled up a chair, removing the blanket draped over it, and used it to cover Elizabeth, before taking a seat next to her bed, watching her gentle slumber.

The house-elves were back, quietly watching the two humans, but making no sound. Dobby carefully crawled up onto the bed, near enough to Snape for him to see the sadness in the creature's eyes.

The small house-elf turned his gaze towards the potions master and said, "You cannot unmakes an angel, Master Snape, sir."

"How could they allow this to happen? After all she's done, did she not deserve her final rest?" Snape said harshly as he dropped his head into his hands.

"She is neededs here, sir…to saves us."

"Could no one else complete whatever task is required of her?" he asked, raising his eyes to look at the small creature.

"No."

At the small house-elf's simple response, Snape abruptly stood and made to leave the room. His hand reached out to move the tapestry aside, but he paused a moment as the house-elf spoke again.

"Theres are many reasons why Miss Elizabeth is heres, nots just to saves us," Dobby said quietly. He wished he could tell what little he knew, but at the very least, hoped to calm the moody man.

Without turning to look at the small creature, Snape softly asked, "I know you cannot reveal anything specific, Dobby…but can you at least tell me if any of the other reasons are for her?"

"Yes," Dobby responded just as softly. "Nothing cans replace Forever, buts there ares many things thats can makes losing it easier. She will haves some of those things."

With a soft 'Thank you, Dobby', Snape exited the room.

He stood for a moment on the other side of the tapestry, then left his chambers all together. He thought only to wander the darkened halls, to take solace in the quiet night, but his feet took him to where he always ended up when he needed to find peace.

"Come in Severus."

The dark-haired potions master entered the room and took a seat across from the older, and far wiser, man.

"I would offer you tea, but from your expression, I think you are in need of something far stronger," the Headmaster said gently, waving his wand to a decanter on a far shelf, along with a tumbler next to it.

Quietly pouring a good amount of scotch into the glass, he held it out to the silent man, who took it, then tossed it back with nary a cringe. The man held it out again, and it was immediately refilled.

Placing his elbows on his knees, Snape held the tumbler in one hand, twirling the contents silently as he brooded. Dumbledore sat quietly, waiting for the younger man to speak when he was ready.

"Do you ever wonder what awaits us upon our death, Albus?"

"My dear boy, at my age, that is something I think about often."

"And what have you concluded?"

"No one knows for sure what happens after death, and I have often thought that death would be the next stage of my adventure, as soon as I finished with what this life asked of me. At other times, I wondered if I would quietly go on to oblivion, ceasing to exist as I used up all the energy that made me who I was – to be extinguished like a flame…to be no more."

The headmaster took a sip of his ever present tea as he contemplated for a moment.

"But opinions are made to be changed or strengthened, and with the appearance of Miss Elizabeth, I have begun to wonder if there is another destination in store for us – one that, in our haste to rebuild our world outside of muggle influence, we have purposely forgotten."

Snape sat quietly, staring deeply into the amber liquid as he thought upon his mentor's words.

"Is it possible to be damned by that which we do not believe in?" Snape choked out.

"What troubles you my dear child," Dumbledore asked worriedly.

"We have done Elizabeth such a great disservice, Albus. I cannot help but wonder why it was allowed to happen, and if we will be condemned for our actions," the dark-haired man bit out before he tossed back the contents of his glass.

He held the empty tumbler out to be refilled once again, but a gnarled hand covered the top of the glass, and pushed it down to the surface of the desk.

"The answer cannot be found at the bottom of a glass of scotch, Severus," the old man said gently. "What's done is done. And if you remember, we were guided, by powers far greater than us, to the answer that brought about the return of Miss Elizabeth. It was meant to be."

"They shouldn't have let it happen! She deserved her rest!" Snape growled, abruptly standing as he threw his glass at a distant bookshelf, where it shattered upon impact.

After his short burst of temper, the dark-haired man slumped back into his chair – the older man was unaffected by his actions, having witnessed it before.

"But I cannot help but be glad that she is here," Snape choked out softly.

"And what has she done that has changed your opinion of her so drastically, Severus? It was not so long ago that you wished her care to fall upon another's shoulders."

As the dark-haired man looked up into the eyes of the Headmaster, the older man saw a look he never thought he'd see there…wonder.

"Her words, alone, have allowed me to begin forgiving myself."

"Then Miss Elizabeth has already done us a great service."

=============================================================

"What do you mean she wasn't there?!" Xander shouted out, alarmed.

"Just that…she wasn't there. Her body wasn't there – her coffin was filled with splintered wood."

"Is she a vampire?" Anya asked with interest.

"No – there would have been evidence that she had risen, but her coffin was perfectly intact," Willow replied stiffly.

The red-head moved towards the shelves of books, and began to pull several of them out.

"Hey! What are you doing? Are you going to buy those?" Anya yelped, ever protective of her merchandise.

"I need these to help locate Buffy, Anya, so deal with it," Willow said sharply, not in any mood to deal with the blunt woman. "Xander, can you get me an atlas?"

Xander hesitated a moment, fluctuating between Willow's request and comforting Anya, who was hurt by the red-head's harsh words.

"Ahn?"

"Oh, go ahead Xander, leave me to my pain. Go, jump through hoops for her like _she_ was your girlfriend," Anya sniffed out before heading to the cash-register to count the money in order to make herself feel better.

Xander followed her immediately, concerned by her apparent unhappiness. As he whispered words into her ear, the ex-vengeance demon relaxed, eventually giving the young man a small smile.

Happy again, Anya reached under the counter and gave Xander a good sized book. As he saw what it was, he gave her a gentle kiss, and stroked her hair before taking the book and walking to the central table.

Placing the large book in front of his red-headed friend, Xander quietly said, "You didn't have to be so harsh Willow."

"I'm sorry Xander, but I don't have time for Anya's greed right now. We need to find Buffy."

"Well _excuse_ me, Mon Commandante!" Xander said sarcastically. "I thought you were friends with _all_ of us, not just Buffy. And what makes you think she's alive?! The last time we saw her she was nothing but a dead body on top of a pile of broken rubble!"

Xander slammed his hands on the table in both anger at his best-friends attitude, and pain at the loss of his other best-friend.

"She _is_ alive, Xander!" Willow stood up abruptly, facing the young man in her own anger. "While you and the others were cowering in fear, I was facing the man who took our best-friend from us! I had to watch as he made one of those demons run over the only chance we had to bring her back!"

"That still doesn't mean she's alive, Willow!"

"He taunted me with it! He said that I should not have sought to return that which has already been restored! What else is that supposed to mean?!"

Xander's anger deflated at that, and he fell into one of the chairs, his legs no longer able to hold him up. "How can you be sure?"

"Why else would her coffin be empty? Why else would he make his own claim? Why would he say that she had already found her place at his side? She's alive, Xander, and _he has her_!" Willow replied fiercely.

They stared at each other before the young man sat up straight in his chair, giving her an indomitable look.

"What can I do?" Xander asked determinedly.

"Help me go through these books. We need to look for locating spells. That man probably has ways to hide Buffy, so I don't think the easy ones are going to work."

As Xander pulled one of the books towards him, he softly said, "Tara left, Will."

"I know," she said, just as softly. "She's upset over what I did to the demons."

"I kinda am too, Will…she said they were in pieces."

"I was mad."

"Are you still our Willow?"

Willow hesitated a moment before answering, "I feel myself changing every day, Xander. I don't know if that's because I'm just growing up and letting go of my insecurities, or if it's because my magic is getting stronger. But I can't think of that right now. We have a best-friend to find."

Xander wasn't satisfied with her answer, but knew that it was time to drop the subject for the moment. He opened his book and began to search for the locating spells Willow requested.

_=CRASH=_

"Someone dug up the Slayer's grave!" Spike shouted out.

A crying Dawn followed the bleach-blonde vampire into the store. Xander immediately jumped up and took her into his arms.

"Hey there! It's OK, Dawnie…we know," the young man tried to soothe her.

"We tried to raise Buffy from the dead, but someone else stopped us and said that she's already been returned, so Willow dug her up and found out that her body wasn't there. She's alive little girl, and now we're trying to find out where she is," Anya stated cheerfully.

Once the words penetrated her mind, Dawn's eyes rolled up into her head and she fainted in Xander's arms.

"Way to go, demon-girl. Couldn't you have put it more bluntly for the Slayer's sister?" Spike snarked, retrieving the passed-out girl from Xander and taking her to a nearby couch.

"I thought she would be happy that Buffy's alive. Shouldn't she be happy, Xander?"

"I think what he's trying to say is that we could have broken it more gently to Dawn that her sister's still alive, honey. It was too much of a shock to have it stated so…so…"

"Bluntly," Spike finished harshly. "And what do you mean she's alive. And for that matter, what were all of you doing trying to play Jesus and Lazarus?! That type of magic is bad juju!"

"We thought her soul was stuck in a hell dimension, so we were trying to get her out. I think it would have worked too, if it wasn't for the scary-looking man with the big nose," Anya said frowning. "He said that she'd already been returned."

"She's alive?" A soft shaky voice came from the couch. Dawn had regained her wits during Anya's explanation, and didn't know whether to be angry that they had tried to raise her sister from the dead, or to be glad that she was alive, wherever she may be.

"Apparently so, nibblet, no thanks to the SOG wanna-be's," Spike scowled at the three young adults, pulling out and lighting a cigarette.

"SOG?" Anya queried, confused.

"Son of God, Jesus, man-who-turns-water-into-wine…neat trick that…you get what I mean."

Dawn stood up and moved to the table, and in a determined voice, said, "Tell me everything!"

The others hesitated for a moment, but at the stubborn set of the younger Summers' chin, they spilled out the whole story.

"So she's alive somewhere?"

"We're pretty positive, Dawnie," Willow said.

For a moment, Dawn was silent, then she lifted her head with an unyielding look, and said, "Hand me a book."

"Dawn, honey, I think you should go home to…" Xander began, but was cut off by the younger brunette's fierce gaze.

"She may be _your_ best-friend, but she's _my_ _sister_, Xander. Hand me a book."

Xander looked in her eyes, and could only see the maturity and sheer willpower of someone who had to grow up too soon…someone who had lost two members of her family in less than a year, of which said losses destroyed the last bit of innocence left in her – she would no longer allow them to treat her like a child. He handed her a book.

Spike snagged another, and took the last empty chair – be damned if he let the others brush him off…he was part of the team too, and he had a slayer to yell at for dying…when they found her.

===================================================================

It was several days later that Willow felt they had enough spells to help find Buffy, and made the call to start using them. She felt a moment's pang that Tara was still not speaking to her, but brushed it aside in order to concentrate on what needed to be done to save their friend.

Xander rolled out a map of the U.S., the first of many maps he had gathered.

Willow began with a basic locating spell, and when nothing happened, she tried three others. Still no results. Xander removed the map and replaced it with another.

They went through the same process for each continent, and finally got a result with the western Europe map, which included northern Africa, Iceland and the UK. Going through each country, they were able to narrow it down to the UK, but no further.

"I don't understand! We should at least be able to narrow it down to a city! No one can be _that_ good at hiding someone's signature!" Willow fumed, tossing the plain silver crucifix that belonged to Buffy onto the map. It still vibrated with energy.

"He could be hiding her in the wizarding world…after all, he _was_ wearing robes," Anya said in a distant voice as she counted the contents of the cash register.

"The _what_ world?!" Xander asked bewildered.

"440…460…480…500!" Anya finished her counting, and reverently placed the money back into the till before answering. "The wizarding world. It's supposed to be some kind of large community that lives in hiding within the borders of Scotland and Britain…I think there's more of them in France and Bulgaria, but I'm not sure. I've never been there – I've only heard about it."

"And you were planning on telling us about this world _when_, Anya?"

"I'm not sure it even exists, Xander. I said I only heard about it, and I think the information passed through several hundred other vengeance demons before getting to me. From what was said, several of D'Hoffryn's previous employees were turned into flobberworms and nifflers, whatever those are, when they tried to wreak vengeance on some of the wizards and witches – and there were rumors of one who was even turned into a Yeti – well, after that, we weren't allowed to venture into the wizarding world, no matter how loudly one of them called upon us. Our necklaces were charmed to ignore them."

"Is it possible for them to hide a person to this extent?" Willow asked curiously.

"Of course it is…their entire community is hidden from regular humans, and they live right in the midst of them. Hiding one person is nothing."

"How come we've never heard of them before?" Xander asked.

"Entrance to their world is by invitation only, from what I was told. You have to be a wizard or witch in order to get that invitation."

"Uh…hello…witch here. I never got an invitation," Willow replied.

"You're not a witch, you're a wiccan. Apparently there's a difference," Anya stated matter-of-factly. "One of my previous co-workers mentioned that they use wands to focus their magic, and that it comes from within them. Wiccan magic uses external forces to perform magic. Hence, you weren't invited."

"Is there some way we can gain entrance into their world? Will a locator spell work once we get past their…uh…barriers?" Dawn asked tentatively.

Willow gave her a proud look, impressed by the intelligent questions.

"Well, first we would have to _find_ one of their entrances, but that shouldn't be too hard for Miss Black Magic here," Anya scowled at the red-head, who had the decency to blush. "Regardless of what type, magic always leaves a mark that can be felt by those who are looking for it specifically. As for locator spells, I assume that once we're inside whatever barrier is keeping us from finding her from the outside, it shouldn't be a problem."

"Then it looks like we're going to England, kiddies. So let's get crackin' and do all our packin'…we're goin' to the Mother Land," Spike quipped, rubbing his hands together.

"Who said you're going with us?" Xander gave the vampire a look of disgust.

"Hey! He's part of the team too, Xander!" Dawn said, immediately jumping to the defense of her personal Buffy-approved protector. "Besides, he probably knows England a lot better than any of us."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Nibblet," Spike winked at her.

"But you're going to have to behave, Spike, or I'll give your ass a smack-down that would put Buffy to shame," Dawn gave the peroxide blonde a mock-glare.

"Awww, Nibblet. Spoil my fun."

Dawn giggled.

"Then let's go, everyone. Pack what you need for a few days stay, and meet back here in 3 hours," Willow said determinedly.

"But what about passports and plane reservations? I don't think we can get that all in 3 hours, Willow," Xander asked, a confused expression on his face.

"We aren't going by plane, Xander. We're going by portal," Willow said smugly.

"No, no! No portals! Do you _know_ what they can do to humans if it's not stable? Take your DNA, rip it apart, then throw it into the void, and you have one of the gentler results! You might be able to open one, Willow, but your magic is so out of control it won't be stable. I'll take the big bucket of bolts with wings, thank you!" Anya said firmly.

"Hey! I resent that! I can create a stable portal! If a demon can do it, so can I!" Willow defended herself.

"Demon portals aren't stable, Willow. The only reason demons can safely travel by portal is because it's part of their genetic make-up. Their DNA is already fucked-up to such a large degree that the instability of portals can't screw them up anymore," Anya said smiling as she repeated 'fucked-up' several times, in some bizarre personal enjoyment.

"Don't swear in front of Dawnie, Anya," Xander chided gently.

"But I used it in the right context, didn't I Xander?" Anya asked.

"Uh…yeah, honey, but don't use those words in front of the Dawnster," the young man squirmed uncomfortably.

"At least I didn't use the word vagina, or scrotum, like you asked me not to…but that's because I couldn't figure out a way to fit it in to what I was saying," Anya replied, looking proud of herself.

Dawn cracked up as Spike spit out his beer at Anya's latest 'fun words'.

"All right…back on topic now," Xander hurriedly said. "It doesn't sound like portal is the friendly way to travel, so we're going to have to do this the mundane way. How soon can we get what we need to travel internationally?"

Willow scowled at her suggestion being shot down, but grudgingly said, "Well, it would normally take six weeks to get a passport, but…"

"Six weeks! We can't wait that long!" Dawn interrupted.

"…_but_," Willow continued, "I figured you might not want to travel the easiest way, so I started to make them a few days ago."

"Make them? Sounds…not quite legal, Will," Xander said uncertainly.

"It isn't illegal, per se. I…uh…borrowed the template to make them, and all we need are photos. I figured that, since we're going to make them ourselves, we don't need to deal with the red-tape of administrative processes. We can send them money, if it'll make you feel better, Xander."

"Whatever, Willow. How soon can you have them ready? And what about reservations?" Dawn interrupted again, ready to get going and get her sister.

"I can have them ready by tomorrow morning, if we take our pictures now. And I've already made…uh…arrangements for the tickets – we just need to confirm what flight."

"I don't want to know," Xander mumbled.

"And what about me, pet? Not exactly sunlight friendly, ya know," Spike drawled.

"The tickets are first class, and I made sure the airline knew you were allergic to sunlight, so we should be able to avoid that problem," Willow smirked.

"You sure you don't want me to turn you, Red? I could make unlife good for you."

"In a crypt? I think I'll pass, Spike," Willow said blithely. "Dawnie, you want to confirm the reservations while I start snapping photos?"

"Sure Willow…where are the tickets? And what time do you want them at? Oh! Do we need to make hotel reservations too?" Dawn practically danced with excitement.

"The e-stubs are on my hotmail account, and try to get a flight that will land at Heathrow early at night. Two nights at a small hotel, two rooms. Xander, why don't I take pictures of you and Anya first, then you can go pack and make arrangements for work. Try to dress a little nicer for the flight…remember, we'll be in first class, so we don't want to stand out. Spike, you have anything to pack?"

"Some stuff, Red. Will you be able to mojo somethin' at the airport to get weapons through? I wouldn't want to go into anything unarmed."

"That will limit us to carry-ons only. I can't do anything if I can't see it," Willow said thoughtfully. "Why don't we put all the weapons in one bag that you'll carry, Spike. It will make things a lot easier than it would to hide things in several small bags. You can put your clothes and other items into either Dawn's or my suitcase."

Spike turned to Dawn. "Need me to pick anything up at your house to pack away in my bag o' goodies, Nibblet…somethin' Big Sis might like?"

Dawn grinned. "Mr. Pointy…he's on my bedside table. And maybe a short-sword, if you can fit it? The weapons are still in the trunk in Buffy's closet. Take what you think she'd like, or what you might need."

Dawn bounced off in high spirits to get Willow's laptop.

Willow had finished snapping pictures of Xander and Anya, and moved to take Spike's.

"No need, luv…got my own – how do you think I get about?" the blonde man smirked. "Need help when I finish picking up what I need? I've got some know-how on puttin' together fancy travel papers…even the new ones."

"That would sure help, Spike…thanks."

"No problem, Red. I'm off – be back in an hour, pet."

Spike strolled out of the store, lighting a cigarette as soon as he exited the door. As he walked away, both Dawn and Willow could hear him belting out some unknown song about traveling…at least they thought that's what it was about – it was kind of hard to make out between all the swear words that were apparently part of the song.

=============================================================

Several days later Elizabeth finally stopped glowing and returned to normal, much to the relief of one potions master. But something had changed in her – she seemed to be more energetic, and couldn't keep still for more than a two or three hours at a time. It confused Snape when she excused herself several times, disappearing for up to an hour or two at a time.

It was during one of these disappearances that Snape's curiosity got the better of him, and he sought her out.

Whenever she left, she always went to her chambers, so the dark-haired man ventured there first, softly calling out to her. When he received no answer, he slowly entered Elizabeth's private quarters, and looked around.

The door was back…or maybe it was just _a_ door – it was, after all, on the opposite side of the bed from the one that had led to her private bath.

Snape cautiously approached the slightly propped open doorway, not wanting to make the same mistake that he did when, in his panic at having thought he lost Elizabeth, he rushed into a private moment.

As he stood listening for any noise that would indicate just _what_ was behind the door, a faint tap-tap-tapping was heard, coming closer to where he stood.

Something hit his foot and he looked down – a small yellow-colored ball rolled around the floor by his foot. He bent to pick it up.

Examining it closely, he noticed that it was light, and made out of a somewhat familiar semi-flexible material. '_Plastic_,' he thought. His head whipped up as he heard more tapping sounds.

Snape cautiously opened the door and stepped through. He was brought up short at the unexpected sight that greeted his eyes.

Elizabeth stood in the middle of the room, wearing one of the trouser outfits she had fought to have made, and a blindfold across her eyes. Her head was cocked as if listening for something – a few house-elves were up against the walls, and several colored balls floated around at the edge of the room.

As the dark-haired potions master watched, he saw several of the balls fly towards the blindfolded woman. Just as he was about to shout out to her, she moved with a speed that astounded him.

He watched in amazement as Elizabeth jumped about, and moved with a grace he'd never seen in anyone before, as she either avoided the bright colored balls or knocked them away from her body…all without actually seeing them.

Snape stood there watching for over an hour, stunned at both the expertise of Elizabeth's fighting skills and her show of stamina. The small woman jumped, flipped, punched, and kicked her way through the flying missiles, and the silent man saw the tight muscles flexing across the visible portions of her upper body.

Finally, she was done. As she stood panting lightly in the middle of the room, she turned her still blindfolded face towards the door.

"Hello, Severus."

"Hello, Elizabeth," the dark-haired man responded. "That was…incredible."

She smiled at him as she removed the blindfold, then grimaced. "No, not quite incredible. It would probably be incredible if the balls still didn't hurt so much when they hit me."

Snape chuckled. "I'm sure it's only temporary, Elizabeth."

"I certainly hope so – it wouldn't do for my opponent to be able to take me down by slapping me on the wrist," the small blonde woman shook her head in disgust. "You should have seen me a couple of weeks ago, the house-elves were throwing balls of cotton…and even _they_ hurt."

"It takes time to heal, Elizabeth, but you are making great progress," Snape replied in a conciliatory tone.

"Not fast enough, Severus," Elizabeth replied, worried. "Something is going to happen soon, and I need to be ready."

"Do you know what it is?"

She shook her head in the negative. "No, I just have this feeling that I need to hurry up and heal as soon as possible – that someone's life depends on it."

"Then you will find a way, Elizabeth," Snape said, giving the young woman a small smile.

Elizabeth smiled in return, then grabbed the dark-haired man by his forearm, pulling him to her side.

"In the mean time, _you_ are going to join me for my warm-down."

"But I don't know how to fight like that!" Snape exclaimed.

"We aren't going to fight, we're going to do a meditative exercise called Tai Chi…it's good for the circulation, and helps your muscles loosen up," the small woman explained, then grinned at him mischievously. "Besides, it would be good for you to use as an 'anger management' tool."

Snape looked at her with a mock-offended expression, "**_I_** do not get angry."

Elizabeth smirked at him. "Then why do I constantly see that vein popping out of your forehead?"

"It's just a tick," he responded blandly.

She laughed, then pointed to the wall opposite them, where the house-elves had transfigured the surface of the walls into one long mirror.

"Just follow what I do as best you can, and don't worry about perfecting your form – just keep your muscles loose and let it flow," she instructed. "You'll be surprised how relaxed you feel afterwards."

Snape did as instructed, and he was pleasantly surprised to find that, in the end, she was right…he _was_ a lot more relaxed, and even the constant knot in his neck was gone. He made himself a promise to join her in this…Tai Chi…as often as possible – he could easily get used to this feeling.

=============================================================

"So, are you going to write back to him?" Harry asked.

"Hmmm?" Elizabeth said distractedly as she observed a transfigured flower that didn't quite look right…at least _she_ had never seen a lime green iris before.

"I said, are you going to write back to him?"

"Who?"

Harry dropped his voice to a whisper, even though they were alone. "My godfather…the man who wrote all those letters I gave you."

"Oh!...uh…I kind of forgot," Elizabeth said in an embarrassed tone. "Things have been a little busy lately, with everything I have to learn and _re_learn. I suppose I should, huh? But…what would I say? I don't know him, and I can't tell him anything about myself…"

She trailed off as she waived her hands helplessly in the air.

"It doesn't have to be a five foot essay, Miss Elizabeth…just tell him how you are, that you're getting better, and that he has a wonderful godson who walks on water," Harry responded, giving her a cheeky grin.

"Walks on water, huh? More like walks through cow manure and trails it behind him wherever he goes," Elizabeth gave a short laugh.

"Hey!" Harry gave her a mock-affronted look, then pointed his wand at her flower and whispered a word. The flower melted into a puddle of lime goo.

"Brat! That was the best flower transfiguration I've done so far!" She exclaimed.

Elizabeth then pointed her wand at him and said a charm that gave him purple spots.

Harry started laughing as he looked at his spotted arms. "Think I can get out of potions class if I claim these spots are a rare form of chicken pox?"

"You can try, but I guarantee that Professor Snape will make-up some fake cure that tastes awful, just to get back at you."

"Darn-it," Harry looked mildly disappointed, then said the counter-charm, making the spots disappear. "Oh well, I guess I'll survive…I _have_ for the past 3 ½ years. So…the letters. Are you going to write him back?"

"I guess so."

"How about doing it right now? I'll help, if you get stuck on what to say," Harry offered. "Besides, if you write it now, I can take care of getting it to him this weekend."

"You aren't going to leave me alone on this, are you?" Elizabeth said in amusement.

"Nope. My godfather really likes you, and he'd be very happy to receive a letter from you…I'd like to see him happy, because he's had so many bad things happen to him in the past," Harry said solemnly.

"OK, OK…I'll write to him," Elizabeth smiled softly at the young teen.

She called up Dobby to request writing utensils then, after thinking a moment, began to write…

.

_Sirius,_

_I apologize for taking so long to respond to your letters, and for the untidiness of this letter – I'm not used to writing with quill and ink. Things have been quite busy for me as I learn new things, and re-learn old, but I am recovering quickly – though most of the time it seems like it's not quick enough._

_Harry and his friends have been a great help to me…_

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_…and I've learned quite a lot from them already. Your godson has quite the makings for a great teacher, should he choose that profession in the future._

_I've regained my memories, but there isn't much I can tell you at this point, except to say that I think I am a good person – at least, the knowledge of who I truly am tells me so._

_Harry wanted me to tell you that I think he's the most perfect guy on the face of this earth, but he's a little busy right now picking the pillow feathers out of his hair. So, while he's distracted, I should probably tell you that he's really an uptight little troll……_

Sirius laughed as he saw the sentence trail off with a messy trail of ink. The next couple inches of space held more inked scratches, as if there was a fight over the quill, before the letter began again.

_Sorry about that, Harry took exception to my comment. But, since he's busy playing 'dodge-ball' right now, I can continue…_

_Harry's a good kid, and you should be extremely proud of the man he's growing up to be._

_I'm sorry that I can't tell you more about myself, but there are reasons. I hope I can tell you someday soon, but for now, just know that I'm on the side of good._

_Sincerely,_

_Elizabeth___

.

Sirius re-read the letter several times, until the waning light outside the mouth of the cave made it too hard to see clearly. It was only as he was carefully putting the letter away that he noticed the short note on the back of the letter, written in Harry's hand.

.

_Sirius,_

_She's just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside._

_Harry_

.

With a happy sigh, Sirius placed the letter carefully away, and lay back to sleep. He drifted off with dreams of a beautiful blonde woman smiling at him.

============================================================

Inside his head, Draco was swearing, but he schooled his face to show only boredom and indifference – it wouldn't do to have the other Slytherins know he was bothered by the contents of his father's most recent letter to him.

The young teen sat in a high back chair contemplating the flames in the fireplace, which gave him no warmth andno answers, wondering how he was going to get himself out of _this_ mess.

"Draco, darling, are you going to tell us what your father wrote? It's unlike you to keep us waiting for so long," Pansy drawled, draping herself over one of the arms of the blonde teen's chair.

"It's a private matter and none of your concern, Pansy," Draco said shortly, carefully folding the parchment and placing it into an inner pocket of his robe.

The female Slytherin pouted. "But Draco dear, your father's words are as good as gold around here…you've never kept his letters secret from us. Why now?"

Draco stood abruptly, and began stalking towards the entrance of the Slytherin Common Room as he bit out, "I said it was a _private_ matter, Pansy. I'm sure you understand the concept of _privacy_ – or have I mistaken your level of intelligence?"

As the blonde teen exited the room, the female Slytherin called out, "You don't have to be so touchy about it…and don't forget about curfew!"

Draco ignored the voice of his house-mate as he stalked down the dungeon corridors, heading towards less used hallways. When he finally walked far enough that he wouldn't come across any other students, he leaned up against the wall and pulled out the letter to read it again.

_Draco,_

_Find out everything you can about the woman residing with Snape, and send the information to me via the family charm._

_In addition to the protective actions of those filthy creatures, the Headmaster's unwillingness to speak about her tells me that there is a secret to be found out._

_Find it. Use whatever means necessary._

_Don't disappoint me._

_Father_

.

Draco swore out loud, crumpling the letter in his fist. Banging his head back against the wall, he couldn't help the wave of misery that came over him.

He wanted to please his father, but he also liked Hogwarts, and didn't want to endanger his position as a student.

Father wouldn't take no for an answer.

Snape would _definitely _take spying on Elizabeth as harming her, and promptly kick him out of the castle on his arse.

He was screwed.

=============================================================

"It's good to see you up and about Minerva. How are you feeling?" the Headmaster asked with a pleased smile.

"I still get a little weak now and then, but other than that, I feel well, Albus. Thank you for asking," Professor McGonagall responded with a slight smile as she eased herself carefully into a chair. "How is Elizabeth?"

"Severus tells me she is fully recovered, and has had no lasting harm done to her," Dumbledore said. "Ah, Severus…we were just speaking of you and Elizabeth. How is she?"

Snape had entered the office during the Headmaster's discourse. He closed the door behind him and approached the two figures sitting around the Headmaster's desk.

"She is well, Headmaster, and recovering more quickly than I thought possible. I believe she will be fully healed within the next few weeks," Snape responded.

"That is good to hear…very good," Dumbledore looked happily at his potions master. "May I ask why you are here? Is there something I can do for you?"

Snape shuffled his feet for a moment before he cleared his throat and spoke. "Elizabeth heard Minerva was up and about, and she asked me to give her something."

The dark-haired man moved his hand from behind his back to reveal a beautiful flower in full bloom, a purple iris, which was placed in a plain, yet lovely crystal vase.

"Oh Severus…it's exquisite!" McGonagall exclaimed as she reached out to take the gift, taking in its sweet fragrance. "Did you get this from one of Professor Sprout's greenhouses?"

"No…Elizabeth transfigured it for you. She wanted to let you know that she appreciated your help in keeping her friends from taking her from us," the dark-haired man explained uncomfortably.

"She transfigured it herself?!" McGonagall said in surprise, exchanging glances with the Headmaster. "But this is a fourth year transfiguration! Didn't she only start the practical application of magic just over a month ago?!"

Snape looked both smug and proud. "Yes…she's quite bright, Minerva, and Ms. Granger has been spending a lot of her free time helping Elizabeth to understand the different concepts behind each transfiguration and charm. She catches on extremely quick for someone who is basically a beginner."

"How is she with other subjects, Severus?" Dumbledore asked, curious.

Snape thought about it for a moment before responding. "I would say she is about the level of a third year in charms, and between fourth and fifth year in DADA…which is, by far, her best subject."

"And potions?" the Headmaster asked, eyes twinkling mischievously.

The dark-haired man scowled at the laughter he could see the Headmaster holding back.

"She's just finishing up second year, Headmaster. Her slower pace is due to her co-studies of Herbology…she wants to understand the connection between the different ingredients before she starts throwing them into a potion together. An intelligent action I wish even a handful of students would follow."

"Her progress is astounding, Severus! Was she a child prodigy like you were?" McGonagall asked.

"I don't believe so. But Elizabeth, though still young, is an adult, and doesn't have the number of distractions, nor the raging hormones, that the little monsters we teach have," Snape smirked. "Most of her time is spent actually studying."

"I _do _wish you would stop calling the children monsters, Severus," Dumbledore chided gently. "As for Elizabeth, is it healthy for her to be cooped up so much? Studying with such diligence is all well and good, but you should take her out onto the grounds to get some fresh air – I'm sure it would do her recovery a world of good."

"I will see if she wishes to do so, Headmaster," Snape responded stiffly. Turning to the older woman sitting next to him, he said, "It is good to see you up and about, Minerva."

The dark-haired man strode to the door, but turned back as he remembered something else he wanted to say.

"Headmaster, Elizabeth has recently felt some urgency to recover as quickly as possible – that someone's life depends on it. She knows no details other than a general feeling. I'm not sure what eyes and ears you have out and about, but you may want to let them know to keep their wits sharp."

With a sharp nod, the potions master bid them good night.

================================================================

With long groans that faintly resembled 'mooing', five adults stumbled from a long stagnant-smelling tunnel. They followed the other mass of bodies that had traveled with them into a high-ceilinged area that was cordoned off into a relatively narrow chute that pushed them out into an even larger mass of bodies.

They grabbed hold of each other as irritated people pushed passed them, and almost through them in a couple of cases. Not wanting to lose each other in the unfamiliar territory, they quickly maneuvered to a relatively empty area to catch their breath.

"Oh God…if that was First Class, I am _so_ glad we weren't in Coach. I feel like a Gumby doll that someone twisted into a pretzel," Xander moaned as he flopped onto one of the cheap plastic chairs in a fairly empty waiting area.

Three other bodies flopped down around the young man, moaning just as loudly. Mutters of 'Cirque Du Soleil', 'backwardly bent Barbie legs', and 'we paid money for that?' could barely be made out by the smirking vampire.

"You all are such poufs…me, I had a good lie-down whenever one of you ponces weren't kicking me in the kidneys," Spike snarked.

"You normally sleep on a slab of concrete, Spike – anything else would feel like a feather-bed to you," Xander said petulantly.

"Yeah…simple livin' makes everything seem posh, Wonderboy," Spike scowled at him. "Now, 'less you're all plannin' on campin' out here, we best be movin'…don't want to be late to the hotel, or they'll give away the rooms – trust me on that."

Four people groaned as they dragged their tired bodies up and began to make their way carefully to the baggage claim area.

"So what's the plan? Eat, sleep, shower? Or are we going to start looking for that door you mentioned?" Spike asked.

"I think we all could use some rest and _real_ food. And I don't know about everyone else, but I feel really, really icky, so showers too," Willow said tiredly.

All those with a heartbeat nodded their heads emphatically. Spike looked at them in disgust.

They retrieved their bags as quick as they could, and grabbed a cab to a small, yet well-maintained hotel.

After checking in, they dragged themselves to one of the rooms. Dumping their suitcases haphazardly, the four humans inelegantly fell into a pile of arms and legs on the two beds, while the blonde vampire looked on in amusement.

"Wimps. Well, while you all putter about wasting time, I'm gonna see some of the nightlife…maybe get a line on these hocus-pocus people."

There were tired yawns and a, 'Bye Spike' as the four humans drifted off.

Shaking his head, Spike closed the door quietly behind him as he left to see if he could find a few demons with some information.

=============================================================

Elizabeth cocked her head, listening to something only she could hear.

"What is it, Elizabeth?"

"It is sadness…fear. Someone is troubled," the young woman responded, eyes unfocused. "The castle is calling me…it feels his uncertainty."

"You can speak to the castle?" Snape asked, shocked.

"Sometimes, but only when it wishes to. It wants me to help him."

"Who is it?"

"Someone who walks a fine line…someone who must make a choice very soon," Elizabeth responded in a distracted voice. She stood up abruptly, and began to walk towards the door. "I must go."

"Where? I'll go with you," Snape said, standing up from his chair.

"No, Severus," Elizabeth turned her head to give him a small smile. "I have to go alone. Please trust me on this."

The dark-haired man hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly nodded his head.

"Be careful, Elizabeth, and make sure the house-elves know where you're going."

The young woman nodded her head and gave him another smile before leaving. The door quietly closed behind her, leaving a worried man ensconced in the chamber it protected.

============================================================

Up in a high tower, a young blonde boy sat in silent contemplation, his mind buzzing around in a panic, trying to figure a way out of his current predicament. His hands gripped a crumpled piece of parchment – the reason for his current state of mind.

"You are troubled."

Draco jumped to his feet, whipping around, wand drawn. When he saw the small cloaked and veiled woman, fear raced through his blood, and his eyes darted around the room, looking for her usual entourage of protectors. Seeing no house-elves in sight, he relaxed slightly, but not by much.

"They are not here, Draco Malfoy. I came alone."

"Why are you here?" Draco asked harshly. "I'm sure you've been told to avoid me by now."

"Perhaps…perhaps not. Though I would not care to judge someone by another's words," Elizabeth responded, a hint of humor in her voice.

"Maybe you should, Miss Elizabeth. I'm not known for my kindness," Draco said tonelessly.

"Ahhh…but is it because that is who you are?" Elizabeth paused before continuing, "Or because that is who your father wishes you to be?"

Draco paled a moment before hardening his expression. Putting his wand away, he turned back to the ledge and returned to his seat, gazing out the window.

"Why are you here, Miss Elizabeth?"

The young woman took in the tense set of the young teen's shoulders, and moved to sit on the other end of the ledge.

"You are troubled."

"And what does that have to do with you?" Draco said sullenly.

"Your worries were brought to my attention, and I was given the impression that I may be of some help," Elizabeth responded gently.

Draco sat up straight and spat out, "By who? Do you have spies here? Who _are_ you?"

"I can't say who, but they are concerned with the welfare of _all_ who reside here, including you. As for who I am, that is not for you to know yet."

The blonde teen glared angrily at her before slumping back against the window frame, and crossing his arms in annoyance.

Elizabeth sat quietly for a moment, her hands clasped in her lap as she observed the moody young boy. She could see that his actions were just a cover for the worry he felt.

"_Is_ there something I can help you with, Draco Malfoy?"

Draco looked at her expressionlessly, then with a sigh, his shoulders drooped in defeat – he knew he was screwed either way. Leaning forward, he dropped the crumpled parchment onto her lap.

Elizabeth smoothed out the paper, then lifted it up. She tried to read it, but the light had begun to dim, making it impossible to make out the words.

Turning he gaze to the young man, she said, "I could use some light, if you would be so kind, Mr. Malfoy."

Giving her a disgruntled look, he said, "You have a wand, don't you?"

"I do. But I'm afraid my magic is occasionally a little…unstable. Some spells still give me some trouble," Elizabeth chuckled. "I tried to use '_Lumos_' a few days ago and nearly blinded everyone in the room."

Draco snorted out a laugh, saying, "At least it wasn't '_Lecarnum Inflamar_'."

"Oh! With that one, I set the table on fire…a big one!" she laughed.

He gave her an incredulous look before asking, "What did Professor Snape do?"

"He just lifted an eyebrow and said, 'I didn't bring any weenies for a roast, but I guess Mr. Potter will do'," Elizabeth giggled.

Draco cracked up laughing, bending over his legs as he tried to catch his breath.

"Oh Merlin, I needed that," Draco gasped out.

"A light, if you will, Mr. Malfoy?" Elizabeth chuckled.

The young boy whispered the spell and held his wand aloft, allowing the glow to light the parchment the woman held. As he gazed at the paper, his smile faded away.

Elizabeth read quickly, then lay the parchment softly on her lap as she looked up at the blonde boy.

"Do you know what will you do?"

As he looked at her, he realized it should feel eerie that he couldn't read her expression, but it wasn't. He could tell by her body language that she wasn't angry – only waited calmly for him to give his answer…regardless of what that answer would be.

Draco normally read a person's expression or body-language, and answered according to how he wanted them to react. But with Miss Elizabeth, something about her made him feel that it was important not to lie about this. She had asked him if she could help, and maybe she could – after all, it _was_ about her.

"I don't know," he answered simply.

Elizabeth kept silent, waiting for Draco to explain, knowing he wasn't finished.

"It's just…I…it…," Draco took a deep breath and let it out slowly before he started again, "I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. If I do as my father asks, I'd be expelled from Hogwarts. If I don't...well…my father isn't exactly…_pleasant_…when his wishes are defied."

Agitated, the blonde teen jumped up from his seat and began to pace the small area.

"All my life I've tried to do what he wanted – study hard, Draco, a Malfoy should always be the top student…dress elegantly, Draco, you never know what important person you might meet…be condescending, Draco, you _are_ better than everyone else…do this, do that…be a carbon copy of your father, Draco."

The teen slumped back into his seat, drawing his legs up to his chest and wrapping his arms around his knees, and looking very much like the young boy that he was.

"And are you, Draco? Are you a carbon copy of your father?" Elizabeth asked softly.

"That's what everyone sees," he replied harshly.

"But _are_ you?"

Draco leaned his head against the window frame and looked out to the grounds, not really seeing anything in the fading light.

"No. No, I'm not," he whispered. He was silent for a moment before he continued, "I don't know who I am anymore, but it's _not_ a mirror image of my father, though that's the façade I have to keep up. I've outgrown the little boy who takes his father's word as law…but into what? I don't know if he'll ever let me find out."

The young woman saw a light sheen of tears in the young boy's eyes. She gave him a moment to pull himself together before addressing him again.

"What do _you_ wish to do about this?" Elizabeth said, lifting up the wrinkled letter.

Draco blew out a shaky breath, "I wish I could go back in time and stop myself from sending the letter to my father that started all this."

"Hindsight is _always_ 20-20, Mr. Malfoy," Elizabeth said with a smile in her voice.

"What does that mean?"

"That when one looks back on past actions, it always seems to be perfectly clear what one _should_ have done," she explained. "But would changing the past really have prevented the situation you have now?"

"I suppose not. He would have found out about you by other means," Draco sighed.

"Then let us forget about what _caused_ this, and focus on what can be done to satisfy _both_ situations."

"Do you have any ideas?"

"I may have, but any answer is going to require one important element."

"And what's that?"

"Chocolate, Mr. Malfoy," Elizabeth chuckled. "Many a problem can be solved at the bottom of a good cup of cocoa. Would you care to join me?"

Draco gave a small shaky laugh, but agreed to join her. He was relieved that Miss Elizabeth wasn't angry, since _that_ would create even more problems, especially with one cranky potions master.

As they both stood, Draco gave her a nervous smile as he said, "So, where shall we go? I don't think I would be welcome in the kitchens after…uh…"

"No, no…you are, unfortunately, correct. The house-elves are still a little upset about our first meeting. But don't worry – you're making steps in the right direction in making things right with them."

"So, where shall we go then?"

"How about Professor Snape's quarters? I believe we should go somewhere private to discuss this matter. Besides, as I understand it, he knows your father pretty well. His advice in this would be extremely helpful."

Draco paled at that. "But…but…he's even _more_ mad at me than the house-elves!"

"He's not as mad as you think, Mr. Malfoy. Your apology went a long way to alleviating his anger…especially when it was obvious that you meant it," Elizabeth said gently. "And if you approach him for advice on this matter, well…let's just say that things will probably become better for you in his class."

The young boy still looked uncertain.

"Is this the part where I start pointing out that you're acting like a Hufflepuff?" Elizabeth chuckled slyly.

Draco looked affronted. "Bite your tongue! I'm a Slytherin through and through, Miss Elizabeth. My hesitation is only due to my Slytherin survival instincts kicking in."

Elizabeth laughed in delight at seeing the young boy's spirit return. "Then suck it up, young Slytherin – we don't have all night."

"Very well, Miss Elizabeth." Draco said aristocratically, before he held out an arm to the small woman. "Shall we go, my lady?"

Elizabeth threaded her arm with his, saying, with a smile in her voice, "At least you have more manners than your father, Mr. Malfoy."

Draco choked on a laugh.

===============================================

"Elizabeth! Is everything well?" Snape asked in concern, as he stood up swiftly from his chair upon hearing the door open and seeing his charge enter.

Elizabeth just smiled at him, opening the door wider to allow someone else to step through.

Snape took a look at who it was, then quirked an eyebrow at the diminutive woman. "And what, pray tell, is Mr. Malfoy doing here, Elizabeth?"

She just looked at the young teen, cocking her head as if to say, 'You have the floor.'

"I was hoping that you could…I wanted to…," Draco stuttered before finally blurting out, "I need your advice, sir."

The dark-haired man stared at the nervously shuffling boy before he finally swept a hand towards the couch Elizabeth usually occupied.

With a sigh of relief, the blonde-haired teen quickly walked over and sat down, folding his shaking hands on his lap.

Snape regained his seat, crossing his legs and placing his arms upon the armrests of his chair. He looked silently at the bowed head of the boy who sat across from him, now nervously picking at the fabric of his trousers. It was very rare that something disturbed Draco to such an extent that he displayed nervous ticks.

"Well, Mr. Malfoy? What advice have you come to me for at…" Snape turned his head to look at the clock above the mantle, "…an hour past your curfew?"

Draco cleared his throat as he raised his head, once more clasping his hands together. His eyes darted anxiously at Elizabeth, who stood quietly in front of the fireplace.

"My father sent me a letter, sir." Draco said in a shaky voice. "Its contents have left me in a…quandary."

Elizabeth took the folded letter from her cloak and handed it to the dark-haired man. It only took him a moment to read the short missive.

Snape folded it back up and tossed it on the side-table. He raised an arm to lean his chin on his hand as he stared impassively at the young boy.

"Do you know what will you do?"

Draco gave a choked laugh as his potions master asked the exact same question Miss Elizabeth had, not ten minutes ago.

"No, sir," he answered honestly. "As I told Miss Elizabeth, if I do as my father asks, I'd be expelled from Hogwarts – if I don't, well, you know what my father is like, Professor."

"Indeed I do, Mr. Malfoy," Snape replied in a regretful tone as the two exchanged understanding glances.

"Before you ask, sir. What I _want_ is to stay here at Hogwarts, but I also don't want to create…difficulties…for myself at the end of term," Draco said, face pale.

Having called up a house-elf to request beverages while the two were speaking, Elizabeth quietly placed a hot mug of cocoa in front of the young teen, and a cup of tea on Snape's side-table before sitting at the other end of the couch, her own mug of cocoa in her hands.

"Then the answer is simple…you tell him what you find out," Elizabeth said calmly as she rested the mug in her cupped hand on her lap.

The other two looked at her with shocked expressions.

"Elizabeth?" Snape asked, confused.

Buffy smiled mischievously at him as she said, "But Mr. Malfoy will only find out what we tell him he's found out."

Snape caught her meaning, and gave her a speculative look, as he smirked at her, "Feeding his father what information we will allow him to know. Why Elizabeth…we might just make a decent Slytherin of you yet."

"Oh hush…you _know_ I'm a Hufflepuff through and through, Severus."

Snape choked on his tea when he tried to laugh at the same time he was taking a sip.

"_You_? =cough= A =cough= =cough= _Hufflepuff_?! =cough=," Snape choked out. As soon as he caught his breath, he continued, "With my luck, if we put the Sorting Hat on your head, it would scream out you were a bloody Griffyndor, and that it would kill anyone who said otherwise."

Elizabeth laughed.

Draco watched their banter in amazement…he had never seen his potions master so relaxed and…_happy_.

Snape caught the look on the young teen's face, and schooled his expression to a more stern one.

"So, Mr. Malfoy…will you agree to those terms?"

The blonde boy nodded his head emphatically.

"How often will he need to receive something from you?" Elizabeth queried.

"I think I could get away with not sending anything for up to a couple of weeks, but I should make sure to contact him in a sporadic manner, Miss Elizabeth."

"Very smart…makes it look like you just happened to come across something," the young woman nodded in agreement. She lifted her mug to take a sip of her cooling cocoa, but grimaced as she came up against a problem.

Snape caught sight of Elizabeth rolling her eyes as she placed the mug on the table before her, and smirked at her predicament.

As she lifted her hands to remove the veil, Snape sharply barked out, "Elizabeth!"

His dark eyes darted towards the young teen who sat quietly on the couch, watching the two silently as he felt the sudden tension in the air.

"Is that wise?" he asked tensely.

Elizabeth's hands dropped softly into her lap as she looked at the dark-haired man calmly.

Cocking her head to the side, she quietly said, "Sometimes trust is earned, Severus…but sometimes it must simply be given to a person who has never had it, so they understand why it is something to strive for."

Snape looked at her with a solemn expression before he sighed and nodded his head.

Elizabeth turned her gaze toward the silent teen and asked, "Do you wish to be trusted Draco?"

Draco gave her such a look of sadness and longing that it was almost a physical presence in itself – his hands trembled, and his drink threatened to spill over the rim of the mug. He carefully placed the mug on the table before turning back to the young woman.

He and his so-called friends were wary of each other, and even his _father_ didn't trust him – to have Elizabeth offer to just _give _him her trust was…incredible. With a soft shaky voice, he simply answered, "Yes."

Elizabeth raised her hands to push back the hood of her cloak, revealing golden hair that fell past her shoulders. She then removed the veil, laying it in her lap as her eyes lifted to catch the widened gaze of the young teen. She gave him a gentle smile and he gasped.

"You're beautiful!" Draco blurted out.

Her smile widened as she gave a small laugh, "Flattery will get you everywhere, Mr. Malfoy."

The young teen blushed as he averted his gaze.

Snape thought he could see the beginnings of a crush, and smirked – causing the blonde boy to blush even more.

"Tell me, Mr. Malfoy, prior to my 'unveiling' – pun intended – what did you already know about me?" Elizabeth asked.

The ruffled teen picked up his mug of cooled cocoa and, taking out his wand, whispered a warming charm, which he also performed on the mug Elizabeth held out to him when she noticed what he had done to his.

Taking a sip, he thought a moment, then answered, "Well, I knew you were a young woman, somewhere between the age of 18 to early 20's and, as of last week, blonde – a lock of your hair fell out of your hood when you collapsed. Other than that, I couldn't find out anything more, since no one else was allowed near you – and there was no way the house-elves would say anything."

"So, what you're saying is…not much," Elizabeth replied, somewhat surprised. "How did you guess my age?"

"Your hands gave you away…they're very soft and young looking."

She looked at her hands curiously, not seeing what he apparently saw.

"And now?"

"Same age parameter, blue/green eyes…" Draco gently took hold of one of her hands and kissed the knuckles, giving her a rakish grin, "…_very _beautiful…"

Elizabeth laughed.

Snape watched in amusement as Elizabeth made yet another conquest of the male gender.

"…and definitely _not _British. If I had to guess, I would say either American or Canadian."

"_You _are a shameless charmer, Mr. Malfoy," she chuckled as he finally released her hand.

The young teen grinned at her unrepentantly.

Snape cleared his throat to get their attention. "So, Mr. Malfoy…I believe your father will be satisfied with what you have so far, but I would suggest that you only tell him about her hair color – we wouldn't want him to know you actually _saw_ her face."

"Yes, sir," Draco said, taking on a serious look.

"Hmmm…you're correct in thinking that I'm not British, Draco, but I believe you should leave that out," Elizabeth said thoughtfully, then gave them a mischievous grin, her eyes dancing. "He'll most likely restrict his search to _this_ continent."

"You are positively _wicked_, Miss Elizabeth," Draco gave her an impish grin. "Marry me?"

Elizabeth laughed.

Snape scowled.

_'Cheeky little prat!'_

===============================================================

=BANG=

"Rise and shine you little buggers! Time to get your lily-white Yank posteriors into gear – we've got a solid lead!"

Groans greeted the British vamp who was flicking the light on and off, irritating the four people trying to sleep off their jet-lag.

With one last flick, Spike left the light on. Stepping up to the first bed, he yanked the covers off to reveal the two love-birds curled around each other – Xander's hand was wrapped around one of Anya's breasts.

"Stop fondling the goodies, Whelp, and get moving…daylight's comin' in about 3 hours."

Walking over to the other bed, he could only see the tops of two heads – one red, and one brunette – he hoped to god the little witch wasn't in a compromising position with his nibblet.

Yanking off the covers, he was relieved to see that, while their heads were leaning against each other, Red had her hands tucked under her cheek. Little Dawn was curled up towards the wiccan, but her arms were wrapped around a small stuffed pig – Mr. Gordo.

Spike jumped on the bed and maneuvered himself between them. The two girls groaned at all the bouncing and attempted to push him away.

He watched in amusement as they struggled to open their bleary eyes, but lost the battle.

He crossed his arms behind his head, then said, "Come on ladies…time to get us a Slayer!"

Two seconds later, Dawn's eyes popped open and she jumped off the bed.

"Buffy! It's time to find Buffy!"

She ran into the bathroom and slammed the door, only to open it again and rush out. Grabbing her suitcase, she dragged it behind her into the loo, and slammed the door again. Shortly after, the shower could be heard.

Willow was the next to jump up as her brain finally processed Spike's words.

"Oh! Oh!"

The redhead ran to the bathroom, but found the door locked. After staring at it for a moment, she turned to look confusedly around the room. Her eyes lit up at a small plastic card on the dresser. She grabbed it and ran out of the hotel room.

It was only a short moment later that Spike heard a knock at the door. He walked over and opened it with a look of amusement on his face.

Willow pushed him out of the way, grabbed her suitcase and the other room key, and exited again.

Spike assumed she was going to use the shower in the other room.

"Oh Xander, your penis is so big…" Anya moaned, apparently in the middle of a naughty dream.

Xander mumbled, "Not now Ahn…too tired. Jet lag…"

Spike snorted out a laugh as he watched the bumbling idiot's brain finally make the connection.

The dark-haired young man shot up out of bed.

"Jet lag! Buffy!"

He then proceeded to run around the room…for no apparent reason that Spike could figure out.

Finally stopping in the middle of the room, he turned to Spike.

Where's Dawnie…and Willow?"

"Nibblet's in the shower here, and Red took the one in the other room. You were too slow, Whelp, so why don't you get us all some snacks like a good little gopher."

"Food…yes…food is good."

Xander shuffled out of the room, shoeless.

Spike sighed as he moved to stand next to the door, key in hand.

=Knock= =Knock= =Knock=

He opened the door to see the half-awake Xander who mumbled, "Forgot shoes…and money."

"Money? Did I hear someone say money?" Anya said, popping up into a sitting position.

"Go back to sleep, Ahn. Someone'll wake you when there's a shower free."

"Free? I like free things," Anya muttered as she flopped back onto the bed and buried her head under a pillow.

Xander slipped his feet into his shoes, grabbed his wallet, then snagged the room key from Spike's fingers as he exited the room once again.

.

.

.

.

"How can they _not _have donuts?!" Xander griped. "All they had were English muffins, bagels, and croissants! Damn foreigners."

"Hate to break it to you mate, but _you_ are the foreigner here," Spike responded from outside – everyone had kicked him out because they didn't want a room full of smoke. "And if you lot don't hurry, there won't be time for me to take you where I was told to go."

Dawn gulped down her orange juice and stuffed the rest of her bagel into her mouth. Grabbing her jacket, she shot out the door with a muffled, "Mmmime weawy!"

"Easy there, nibblet…don't want to choke to death before we meet up with Big Sis now, do we?"

She shook her head in the negative and, with one big gulp, swallowed the mouthful of bread.

"Come on guys! Or we're going to leave without you!"

She and Spike began to walk towards the hotel exit, leaving the others to scramble behind them.

=============================================================

The cab pulled up to the Kings Cross platform of the London train station, and five bodies eagerly poured out.

"I can feel the hum of something magical here," Willow whispered excitedly. "This _must_ be it!"

She hurriedly moved towards the pull she felt.

After Xander had finished paying the cab driver, they all hurried to catch up with the swiftly moving red-head.

The station was dark and deserted, giving it an eerie feeling – they all stayed close, and kept their eyes open for possible trouble of the pointed-teeth kind, Spike notwithstanding.

Willow walked as if she knew exactly where she was going, and the others trailed right on her heels, which was why they all collided when the redhead came to an abrupt halt…right in front of a brick wall.

"Uh…Willow? Why'd you stop?" Dawn asked nervously.

"This is it," she replied softly as she laid a hand on the stone barrier.

"It's a brick wall, Will," Xander stated flatly.

"That's what it _looks_ like, Xander…but it's a doorway…_the_ doorway," she said excitedly as she began to examine it for the answer of how to open it.

Willow spent the next 15 minutes trying different spells to unlock the barrier. She finally beat her fist against it in frustration.

"Open, damn you!!"

"Hey! What are you kids doing there?!" A voice called out. "This station is closed. I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

The group turned to see a uniformed man heading in their direction.

"Dammit," Xander muttered.

"No! I won't give up now!" Willow said harshly.

The others saw her eyes darken and exchanged worried glances.

Willow pointed her finger at the officer and yelled out, "_Obtero_!"

The man flew back as if a massive hand had thrown him. He hit the wall fairly hard and crumpled to the ground.

"Willow! What did you do?!" Xander shouted, dumping the bag full of weapons on the ground as he ran towards the slumped man.

He quickly checked the man's vitals and was relieved to feel a strong pulse, but was concerned that the uneven pupils were indicative of a concussion.

Spike knelt beside the young man.

"He's alive, though he's going to have one hell of a headache when he wakes up," Spike said roughly. "Red's losin' control, Harris – call the Watcher while I'll try to delay her."

The vampire shoved several coins into the young man's hand and subtly pointed to a nearby phone booth.

"Oh God! We never called Giles! How could we forget to call him?!"

"Too late to think about that now. Just call him now and tell him what's happening. With the type of magic Red's accessing, she's gonna leave a trail a mile wide…tell him to follow if he can."

Xander nodded his head as he shoved the coins into his pocket, then gestured the vampire to help him lift the man onto a bench that was out of Willow's view. The two maneuvered the unconscious man onto it and made him as comfortable as they could.

The dark-haired young man rushed to the pay-phone while Spike strolled slowly back to where the three women were waiting.

"Where's Xander?!" Willow demanded, her eyes still in a stage where they were fluctuating between her natural green and the obsidian black that was indicative of the use of black magic.

"He's cleaning up your mess and making the bloke as comfortable as possible, Red."

"Fine…but he better hurry, or I'll leave him behind," Willow said abruptly as she swiftly turned back towards the brick wall.

As the redhead took a deep breath, the others could feel a cold wind pick up, twirling around them like dead fingers. They exchanged fearful glances, and Dawn edged closer to the blonde vampire.

"If the door doesn't want to play nice, then **_I_**won't play nice," the wiccan growled.

Her hair started turning black as she lifted a hand.

===========================================================

"…so she gives me her puppy-dog eyes – you know, the look that could make even Satan himself melt – and says to me…'Can I hit him with my axe? Can I? Can I?'"

The two men laugh uproariously.

"Your little girl sounds like a right firecracker, Rupert."

"That she is, David…that she is. I miss the lot of them," Giles gave his friend a sad smile.

"Then why are you back here? It sounds to me like you made a pretty darn good life in the states, and picked up a right nice family to boot," David responded, shaking his head in disbelief at what his friend left behind.

=RING= =RING= =RING=

'_Saved by the bell…literally,_' Giles thought, wanting to avoid having to answer that particular question. He picked up his cell-phone and flipped it open, bringing it up to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Giles?! Giles! Oh God, Giles…it's Xander!"

"Xander?! What's wrong? What…"

"We're in England, Giles! I don't have time to explain, but Buffy's alive!"

Giles sat up straight in his chair, face pale, "Alive?!! Xan…"

"No time, Giles. Willow's on a bad mojo kick. She…_we_ tried to bring her back from the dead, and to make a long story short, got yanked by the short hairs by some strange magic dude who said she was already returned. Her coffin was empty, so we did locator spells that told us she was in England."

"Slow down Xander, slow down!"

"I can't Giles, gotta spit it out quickly before she leaves me behind. We came to England, found out there's some magical community hiding smack dab in the middle of your spiffy country, but it's _really_ hidden – we think that's where Buffy is. We found one of their doors that keeps normal folk out, and that's where we are now. King's Cross station in London, between platforms nine and ten. Something's wrong with Willow – I think she's going dark, Giles. Her eyes went all black and she tossed some police guy into a wall. Oh God, Giles…I don't know what to do! I can't lose Will too!"

Giles heard the young man choking back a sob.

"I'm in London, Xander – twenty minutes away…can you delay her?"

"I don't think…dammit…that's a definite no, Giles. Spike's calling me back over…I think Will found a way in. Call an ambulance for the police guy – I think he's got a concussion. I gotta go…remember, King's Cross station between nine and ten. Spike said Willow's gonna leave a trail a mile wide if you can follow it."

click

"Xander! Xander!" With a sharp 'Dammit' Giles flipped his phone closed. "David, I have to borrow your car."

"I'll drive."

"But…"

"I know shortcuts and can get you there quicker than 20 minutes. Besides, then you won't have to worry about finding parking."

"Then lets go!"

The two men ran out of the bar after leaving a hefty tip for their waitress.

=======================================================================

Willow raised her hand, fingers crackling with energy. Just as she was about to blast her spell into the disagreeable door, Spike grabbed her wrist.

"Hold up there, Red," the blond vampire said sharply. "It's one thing to blast open a door to a single home, but what you're doin' is gonna leave an entire community exposed. I know you're right pissed with the magic bloke, but that doesn't give you the right to take it out on innocents."

"Why should you care, Spike...it never bothered you before," Willow responded harshly.

"Still doesn't, pet, but you gotta ask yourself…would Buffy want you to do that?"

That brought the wicca up short, and she lowered her hand. Anya and Dawn sighed in relief as they felt the cold wind die down.

"Then what do you suggest, Spike? Knock?" she retorted.

"Cute, pet, but no," Spike replied as he lit a cigarette. He tapped his forehead, "Use your noggin', Red. If there's a door, there's gotta be a door-frame. And between the door and frame there generally tends to be a small crack. Find it, and you find your way in."

"How?"

"Magical version of a credit card, pet. Gotta think like a thief on this one," Spike gave her a roguish grin. "Slip the mojo juice into the crack, play with the tumblers 'til they fall into place, then voila…we're in."

"And you think that will work?" Willow said incredulously.

"Can't hurt to try it the sneaky way first, pet. What do you think would happen if you blasted your way in?" Spike lifted an eyebrow at her. "If there's an entire community of magic people, don't you think they'd have _their_ version of bobbys? Are you willin' to get us all killed 'cuz you were impatient? Try it my way first, Red. If you're good enough, it should work..."

The vampire trailed off, giving the wiccan a challenging look.

Willow threw back her shoulders and gave him a haughty look. "Fine! We'll try it your way first. But if it doesn't work, I'm going to blast it open."

"Your choice, pet," Spike said, then gestured towards the brick wall. "Look for loose magic…energy not tied down, and that'll probably be it. The stuff that's locked in place is likely to be either the door or the frame."

The wiccan reached out a hand, letting it hover less than an inch over the surface of the stones. She closed her eyes, then began moving her hand across the surface, trying to feel what Spike had described.

Only a couple of minutes had passed when Willow gave out a triumphant shout.

"I found it! Now let's see about unlocking this puppy."

Spike took a couple of steps back, taking a peek to find where the Whelp was. Seeing that he was still on the phone, the vampire wiggled his fingers to catch the young man's attention. Once he was sure he had Xander's attention, he sharply gestured with his head that it was time to go.

The dark-haired young man quickly said a few more words into the phone, hung up, then quickly trotted back to where the group was waiting for Willow to open the door. He was just in time.

"Got it! I got it! Ow…dammit…hurry up and go through, guys. I can't keep it open for long!"

Dawn was the first to go. She closed her eyes as she walked into the barrier, hoping she wouldn't run into anything solid. She felt nothing as she stepped through.

Spike grabbed Xander before he moved away, and whispered softly, "Go last, Whelp. Trip and drop something American to let the Watcher know where we went."

The blonde-haired vampire brushed past the young man, grabbing the bag of weapons, and went through next.

_'Something American_?' Xander thought, confused. He dug his hand into his pockets and quickly rummaged around, but only felt coins.

Coins!

"Come on Xander, you're the last one! Hurry up! I can't hold it much longer," Willow called out.

The dark haired man rushed over, hands in his pockets, and promptly tripped at the last moment. As he pulled his hands out to catch himself, several coins scattered across the pavement.

"Dammit! Sorry Will…I'll just be a second," he said, kneeling at her feet as he scrambled to pick up the dropped coins.

"Leave it, Xander! I'm losing my hold on the opening. Go now!" Willow snarled.

Xander stood up and quickly walked through the invisible opening, coming out to the sight of the other three gaping at a…train? The young man joined the others in their staring.

"What are all you...Oh My God! That's a train!" Willow yelped.

She only took a moment to stare at the odd sight before getting down to business.

"OK, people! Time's a wasting! I don't know if we tripped any alarms when I opened the door, but I'm sure we don't want to find out. Let's get moving!"

The group moved into a more open area of the platform. Dawn pulled out a map from inside her coat and spread it on the ground, while Willow took Buffy's cross from her pocket. Quickly speaking the locator spell, they were all relieved to see an immediate response…a _lot_ further north than their current position.

"Dammit!" Willow growled.

She quickly picked up the map and walked over to the train. Spreading the map on the ground again, she placed her other hand on the train tracks and chanted another spell. The others crowded around the red-head and were surprised to see a line being traced in a meandering manner on the map…directly towards where the locator spell had indicated their friend to be.

"Yes! Looks like we're taking the train, people," she said smugly.

"Uh…hate to break it to you Willow, but it doesn't look like the train is going anywhere for a couple of days," Xander said as he pointed to a sign that said 'Next trip, June 4th, Hogsmeade Station.'

Willow's lips tightened, "Then we'll just have to high-jack it."

The rest of the group exchanged glances.

"Willow?" Dawn said tentatively. "I don't think any of us know how to drive a train."

She gave an eerie laugh as she said, "Leave it to me."

The red-head stalked toward the head of the train and boarded the engine compartment. The others slowly joined her, a bit reluctantly.

As they boarded, they heard Willow call out, "Spike, you may want to find a compartment that has blinds – the sun's going to rise in another few minutes."

Spike took her advice and opened the door that led to the next section of the train. He was relieved to see that it was a passenger car, not wanting to be too far from the others.

The blonde vampire popped his head back in to the engine compartment and called out, "I'll be in the next car, nibblet…it's for passengers, and has blinds."

Dawn quickly joined him, saying, "She's getting scary again, Spike."

"Don't worry, Bit…Big Sis'll knock her down a peg or two if she gets outta line," Spike said consolingly as he pulled down the blinds in one of the compartments. "Just sit back and let Red get us there."

Taking a seat, he stretched out. Dawn quickly curled up next to him, finding security in the arms he wrapped comfortingly around her.

Xander popped his head into their compartment. "Good choice of cars, Spike…there's a food trolly here full of sweets. If you need anything, it's to the right of the back door. Anya and I are going to take another compartment so we can catch up on some sleep. Oh! And Willow's decoupling the rest of the cars so we can travel faster."

The dark-haired man disappeared as quickly as he had appeared.

"Sleep sounds good to me," Dawn yawned, dropping her head on the vampire's chest and quickly dropped off.

Spike smiled in amusement as he gazed at the young teen's dark head. Giving her hair a gentle stroke, he slowly reclined back on the seat, hoping to catch a few winks of sleep himself.

And up in the engine compartment, a young woman's hair turned black as she accessed the power needed to run the train.

With a squeal of metal on metal, the train began to move, quickly picking up speed as it headed north.

================================================================

With a screech of tires, Giles arrived at the King's Cross station. He quickly jumped out of the car and ran towards platforms nine and ten.

"Damn!" he shouted, pounding his fist against a barrier. Xander and the others were nowhere in sight.

He was too late.

Taking a look around, he tried to find some indication of where the children had gone. It didn't take him too long to find the scattered coins…coins he knew could only belong to one of them, as they were mostly American. They surrounded the brick pillar that held the sign 'Platform 9' on it.

"Rupert! Over here!" David's voice rang out.

Giles stood from where he had knelt to look at the scattered change, and quickly made his way to his friend's side. He was alarmed to see a Bobby lying unconscious on a bench.

"He's got a great big lump on the back of his head, and his pupils are uneven – I think he's got a concussion," his friend said.

Giles quickly pulled out his cell-phone and called for an ambulance, giving them directions to where they needed to go.

Turning back to his friend, he said, "David, stay with him. I need to see if I can figure out where the children are."

Without waiting for a response, the tall man strode back to the barrier where he found the coins, and examined the area.

Seeing no other clues, he faced the brick wall and closed his eyes. Opening himself up to the magic he rarely used, he reached out a hand to try and feel the doorway Xander had spoken of.

The magic hit him with a rush, causing him to stumble backwards. His eyes popped open as he let out a deep breath in a woosh.

Shaking his head to clear the magical buzz, he then tried to open the so-called 'door', casting several spells under his breath. When there was no result, Giles stopped, not wanting to open himself up to stronger magics that would certainly turn out to be dark.

Though it disturbed him to do so, he knew he had to leave the children on their own – there was nothing he could do that wouldn't turn out be a danger for himself…or them.

Pressing a palm against the barrier, Giles closed his eyes and prayed for their safety.

===============================================================

"Sir! Sir!! We have unauthorized activity at Platform 9 ¾!" Fudge's assistant burst into the Minister's office. "Someone forced their way through the barrier from the Muggle world, sir!"

"What?!" Fudge, Minister of Magic to the wizarding world, shouted. "How is that possible?!"

"I don't know, sir, but all the aurors are in an uproar…it's being said that dark magic was used," his assistant panted.

"Is the barrier still open?" Fudge said, jumping out of his chair.

He strode out of his office and began making his way to the Auror Division, his assistant struggling to keep up with his pace.

"No, Sir. It closed after a couple of minutes," he panted. "It gets worse, sir…they stole the first two cars of the Hogwarts Express, and are heading towards Hogsmeade right this moment."

Fudge stumbled to a halt in shock.

"What?!"

"Yes, sir…that's what I heard."

The Minister began striding down the hallway once more, his pace even quicker than before.

He burst into the Auror Division, his face livid.

"I want all available Aurors, fully armed, to go immediately to Hogsmeade station and await the arrival of those thieves," the Minister demanded. "Are we tracking the train? Has anyone tried apparating into one of the cars?"

"Yes, sir, and yes, sir, but there's some unknown magic protecting the train. Two of our aurors have already splinched trying to get access to either one of the cars, so we've stopped anyone else from attempting it, sir…and tracking has to be done at least 10 meters away, or we lose their location," one of the aurors replied curtly.

"Then our only option is to wait for them in Hogsmead?" the Minister growled out.

"Yes, sir…if they stay on the train that long. We have five potential locations of where they may disembark, sir, and we've stationed a few aurors in each place," the same auror replied.

"Is there anything else we can do?" Fudge asked in frustration.

"No, sir…not until the train comes to a halt."

The Minister of Magic glowered.

==================================================================

"Everybody up! Time to get off the train," Willow's disembodied voice startled the four people awake.

"But we're still moving," Dawn mumbled sleepily, rubbing the grit out of her eyes.

"The train's slowed quite a bit, Nibblet, has done for quite some time. I think she plans on having us jump," Spike said.

"Jump?!" the young girl said incredulously. "She's nuts!"

"Avoiding the magic bobbies is more like it," Spike said, smirking. "Wouldn't be surprised if they're waiting for us at the end of the line."

"Oh God, I'm already a criminal in a world where I haven't even met a damn witch or wizard yet," Dawn grumbled.

The two gathered their coats, and exited their compartment to see Xander and Anya standing at the opened back door.

"I don't want to jump, Xander! She can't make me jump!" Anya yelled out, firmly grasping the doorknob to keep herself from being moved to the narrow platform outside the door.

"Come on, Ahn…we're all going. You don't want to stay here by yourself and get arrested when the train gets to Hogsmeade, do you?"

"Nooo," she said reluctantly.

"Then you're going to have to jump," Xander explained with infinite patience. "Look, honey, the train's going really slow…you can almost step off."

Anya hestitantly looked out the door to see that, while the train continued to move forward, it _was _going relatively slow.

"If you're sure," she said, reluctantly letting go of the doorknob.

"I'm sure, honey."

Willow moved up behind the group crowded at the doorway. "Let's go, people! Jump off, and we'll meet at the bottom of the hill."

Spike elbowed his way up to the door, making sure to keep out of the sunlight.

"Problem, Red…there's this big shiny ball in the sky that has my death written all over it."

"Not a problem. I was thinking about that, and came up with a solution," the red-head smirked. She pulled a cloak out from behind her back and gave him a grin. "Found this in one of the compartments and made a few sun-light friendly modifications. It's only temporary, though."

The vampire took the cloak from her and put it on. Carefully stepping into a ray of sunlight that was shining through one of the windows, he was pleased to see he wasn't even smoking.

"Red…I _really _want to bite you right now, but I'll have to settle for this…"

Spike grabbed her around the waist, dipping her down as he planted a deep kiss on her surprised lips.

When he finally let her up for air, she gave out a drunken giggle, her cheeks were flushed.

Grabbing the bag of weapons, he stepped out onto the platform. Turning his head back to the other four, he gave a cocky grin and shouted, "See all you ponces on solid ground!" before jumping off the step. He stumbled a little before catching his balance.

Dawn shot out the door, yelling 'Bonzai!' as she jumped. She wasn't so lucky, tripping over her own feet and landing on her butt.

Xander, Anya, and Willow followed, each taking their own inelegant tumble.

The three walked back to meet up with Dawn and Spike, who were staring down the hill with looks of delight on their face.

Spike tossed the bag at Xander and yelled, "Last one to the bottom is a rotten egg!"

The vampire threw his body down the hill, letting gravity take over as he rolled down the grass knoll, but making sure to keep the cloak tucked as closely to his body as he could during his trip. Dawn followed with a delighted shout.

Xander looked at the bag in his hands, then at the two women who were watching the two rolling bodies in amusement.

"Hey Will, take care of this, will you?" he said as he shoved the heavy bag into the red-head's arms.

The dark-haired young man then dived out with a loud 'WooHoo', tucking himself into a ball as he hit the ground rolling.

"If you break your penis, I will be very, very angry Xander!" Anya yelled after him.

The ex-demon gave a longing look at the hill.

"Oh, go for it, Anya. When are you going to have another chance?" Willow said with a grin.

While the light haired young woman hesitated, Willow quickly levitated the bag to the base of a tree at the bottom of the hill, then followed her friends in the same manner, giggling all the way.

With a shrug and a muttered 'you only live once…ok, maybe twice', Anya took the plunge.

When she finally reached the bottom, she was grinning madly.

The others were in various stages of laughter.

Dawn was the one who finally got them moving.

"Come on everyone…let's get going. How much farther is it, Willow?"

"It's just over that hill, Dawnie. There should be a lake on the other side that we'll have to go around to get to a place by the name of Hogwarts. It looked to be about five miles."

"And how do you know all this, pet?" Spike asked.

"Found a map in the engine room," Willow said pertly, waving a piece of paper in their faces.

Spike grabbed a hold of it and looked it over. "Sweet. Now let's go get Buffy!"

The group shared determined glances before heading towards their final destination.

==============================================================

"It's _HUGE_!" Dawn said in a hushed whisper.

"Nothin' like stormin' the castle, kiddies. What's the plan, Red?" Spike asked.

The group was hunched together at the edge of a large forest, keeping out of sight for the moment.

"I say we just walk in," Xander offered. "There's pretty much nothing else we can do."

"I agree," Willow replied.

"And then…?" Spike said in disbelief.

"We'll take stock once we get inside. No visible weapons, though. We don't want to spook them into a fight unless necessary," Willow said firmly.

"I'm not goin' in there without a weapon to protect L'il Bit with, Red," Spike said firmly.

"Hide it in your cloak then, but keep the bag handy for the rest of us," Willow said. "I'll cover us with my magic if there's trouble."

Spike nodded then removed a sword before handing the bag to Xander.

"Need to keep my hands free, Whelp."

Xander nodded as he took the heavy item.

"Right…let's go then," Spike said. He stood up and began to stride towards the castle at a swift pace.

The others followed swiftly behind him.

They reached the opened castle doors with no problems and paused in the entryway as they looked about. Seeing no one, they stepped in further.

Muffled sounds could be heard from behind a large set of doors straight in front, and the group stealthily made their way towards them.

Taking hold of the large ring, Spike gave it a tug, causing the door to creep open a few inches. The vampire shot out a foot to stop it from opening further. He leaned up against the other door and cautiously looked through the crack.

"What do you see, Spike?" Dawn whispered.

"Bunch o' kids…hundreds of 'em lined up at four tables that run from the door to the end of the room. There's another table at the far end running from side to side with about 10 adults sittin' there – no sign of Buffy, 'less she's sittin' at one of the kiddie tables, but I don't think so…they're kinda young," the blonde vampire said quietly. "So what's the plan, Red. We can't just go in there guns ablazin'."

"Let me see," the wiccan said, taking Spike's place when he moved away.

The red-head looked in, seeing exactly what Spike had described. As her eyes roamed over the adults, her eyes fell upon a dark-haired man with a prominent nose…_him_…_HIM!_

"It's _him_! He's _here_!" Willow snarled in anger. Her hair swiftly turned black as she grabbed hold of the door and shoved it open, causing it to hit the wall with a loud bang. She strode into the room, walking straight down the path between the two central tables, her eyes locked on to the dark-haired man at the end.

"Aw, Hell! Break out the weapons, Wonderboy…Red's on the rampage," Spike said as he withdrew the sword from his cloak and followed the angry witch. Keeping an eye on the wiccan while he looked around for any sign of the Slayer.

Xander quickly took out a sword for himself and two axes, handing those to the two remaining girls. The three cautiously trailed the other two.

Several older children had pulled out their wands, but were looking towards the adults as if to ask what they should do.

The adults, most of who were standing, were looking at the older man seated at the center of the table. He stood and addressed the swiftly approaching woman who had black hair and eyes…both of which seemed unnatural.

"May I help you?"

Willow ignored him, still focused on the dark-haired man sitting to her left.

"You!" She ground out. "Where is she?"

"She is where she is meant to be," Snape smirked at the young woman. "Here."

"Give her back to us!"

"She is not a commodity to be handed over."

"She's mine! And _you_ are keeping her from me!" Willow snarled out. "Give her back before tear through you and take her!"

Her four companions exchanged worried glances, and Dawn looked fearfully at the old man who had originally spoken. When he gave her a questioning look, she darted her eyes at the angry witch and shrugged her shoulders helplessly.

"Foolish child! You play with powers beyond your ken," Snape snapped out as he stood up abruptly. "Let it go before it takes you over completely."

"It's _my _power to do with as I wish!" Willow shouted.

"If you think the power is yours, then you are already too far gone," the dark-haired man said sharply, leaning his fists on the table before him. "Leave. She will have nothing to do with you now."

"Yes she will! She's mine! Give her back!"

"No."

The wiccan screamed in frustration.

The children cringed back at the sound and shivered as a cold wind blew through the room.

An ominous feeling fell upon the occupants in the Great Hall, and they watched as black veins crawled across the angry woman's skin. They shivered as she spoke again, her voice eerily deep.

"Then your life is forfeit."

Willow lifted one of her hands in front of her, splaying the fingers outward as lightening played over them. A dark swirling ball quickly grew within the confines of her hand, reaching a size that would not easily be held if solid.

"Die!" she snapped out, pushing the dark object away from her.

Snape watched expressionlessly as the ball of dark magic shot straight at him.

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I'm evil, aren't I? grin

I said I was giving you a chapter that was twice as long as the others…I didn't say I was going to end it nicely, did I? giggle

Sigh…I know there were a couple of scenes that could be classified as unnecessary or too long, but after spending 6 hours pulling weeds, digging up hundreds of bulbs of a very invasive plant (that spawned little mini-bulbs that also had to be dug up), building a small retaining wall, laying out weed barrier, and finally spreading out bark/mulch, I am very, very tired. So, instead of taking a lot of time to remove/revise them – and making you wait even _longer_ for this chapter – I chose to leave those scenes as they were written.

Read…Review…Yell at me for leaving you hanging – I'm going to go take a couple of asprin and go to bed.


	10. Revelations Don’t Necessarily Mean the E...

Note to Reader's, The Full Title is:

**When It's Time to Change, You've Got to Re-Arrange, Who You Are and What You're Gonna Be **

(The title also end's with a lot of Sha na na's, and if you understand this, you've must be as old as I am. LOL)

A/N: I suck…that's it…I just _suck_. Feel free to flog me for taking so long.

**Revelations Don't Necessarily Mean the End of the World**

_A family is a unit composed not only of children but of men, women, an occasional animal, and the common cold. __Ogden__ Nash (1902 - 1971)_

_Be sure that it is not you that is mortal, but only your body. For that man whom your outward form reveals is not yourself; the spirit is the true self, not that physical figure which can be pointed out by your finger. Cicero (106 BC - 43 BC)_

Elizabeth sat quietly reading her second year Potions book, occasionally referencing an Herbology book that lay next to her on the couch. She knew that Severus was a little disappointed at her progress in his chosen profession, especially when compared to the other subjects she was studying; though he _was_ pleased she was making an effort to understand it more fully than the majority of his students – especially one disaster by the name of Neville Longbottom.

She smiled at the memory of the young boy's latest catastrophe, one which had not only exploded in a spectacularly bright orange fashion, but crept around the room and up the walls, driving the students from the area. As he had gently escorted her from the room, Severus commented that it was like being inside a particularly revolting pumpkin, before promptly removing 50 points from Griffyndor.

With a laugh, Elizabeth went back to her studies.

Not a few minutes later, an eerie feeling flowed over her, followed quickly by images from the castle bombarding her mind. She gasped, dropping the book from her lap as she stood.

Summoning her cloak and veil, she quickly donned them and left the room running. Her friends were here to get her back…violently if necessary…and Severus just lit the fuse.

As she ran towards the Great Hall, she frantically called out to Dobby, who appeared immediately and began to follow her as best he could.

"Dobby! Can you take me to the Great Hall? Where the teacher's are sitting?" she asked quickly.

"Yes, Mistress Elizabeth," the small elf panted out.

Coming to a quick stop, Elizabeth scooped him up in her arms.

"As soon as you get me there, take yourself back to the kitchens," the young woman said.

"But…" the house-elf began to interrupt.

"There's nothing you can do to help, Dobby. This power is beyond you," Elizabeth explained gently. "Please hurry, Dobby!"

The small elf quickly complied, apparating them to the private entrance behind the teachers table, then quickly disappearing as instructed.

Elizabeth quickly ran through the entrance, only to see a ball of dark energy heading straight for the dark haired potions master.

"No!" she whispered harshly.

Without pausing in her stride, she pushed off and flipped over the table, landing in front of the immobile potions master, extending her hands outwards as if to block the swiftly moving object.

"Elizabeth, NO!" Snape shouted in a panicked voice, but it was too late – the ball of dark magic had already reached her, and he could only watch helplessly as it hit.

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"Rupert? The ambulance is here…what are we going to tell them?" David asked softly, seeing the pained expression on his friend's face.

Giles pushed himself away from the wall then, running a hand down his face, he let out a tired breath.

"We'll just say that I lost something…my keys…and that the last time I knew I had them was when I had gotten off the train. We came back to look for them, and came across the unconscious bobby," Giles said swiftly, though his voice was strained.

After telling their fabricated story to the medics, they were quickly left alone as the ambulance rushed off to take their patient to the nearest hospice.

"Bloody hell, you're good," David said chuckling, though his face was a little pinched. "It must come from having lived on the Hellmouth for so long, and needing to explain things away to the locals."

"Mmmm," Giles said distractedly.

Giving his friend an intense look, David said softly, "I do hope you will explain this all to me, Rupert?"

"If I do, this _cannot_ get back to the Council, David," Giles said harshly, pinning David with a fierce gaze.

"I'm retired, Rupert – I have no ties to the Council anymore, other than my daughter Lydia."

"And that may be one too many. Given what little information Xander gave me, _no one _at the Council must know, not even your daughter…not until I know exactly what's going on," Giles said seriously.

"You forget Rupert, Lydia met your Slayer when she still lived. We haven't had a chance to speak of it, so it may surprise you that her views of the Council and their autonomy have drastically changed – all due to that one brief encounter," David responded softly. "When she found out you had left Sunnydale, she did everything she could to be sent as your replacement. Lydia now only stays with the Council in hopes of eventually changing their archaic views of treating Slayers as only tools to be used however they please – an opinion I was never able to convince her to forgo prior to her meeting your Buffy."

Giles looked down at the ground in silence, his friend waiting patiently for him to respond. He took a deep breath before turning his gaze towards his friend, eyes fraught with turmoil.

"Buffy's alive, David."

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"Elizabeth, NO!" Snape shouted in a panicked voice, but it was too late – the ball of dark magic had already reached her, and he could only watch helplessly as it hit…

…and stopped, after pushing the young woman back a couple of feet. Her body was held tensely as the ball swirled and twisted between her hands, trying to complete its trajectory…but she held fast.

Elizabeth turned to the armed group standing in the middle of the room, her gaze focused on one figure.

"Black magic, Willow?" she asked softly.

"Buffy?" Dawn whispered as she swayed in shock at recognizing the voice of her sister.

The hidden face turned towards the young brunette.

"Hello Dawnie," the cloaked woman said gently with a smile in her voice, before turning back to the black-haired woman who was glaring angrily at her. "This magic does not suit you Willow Rosenburg."

Elizabeth turned her face to the dark ball of magic that was spinning between her hands. Leaning her face forwards, she blew on it. A luminescent vapor flowed through her veil and onto the malevolent magic she held. The glow entered the dark swirling mist, rolling around its murky depths, mixing and changing the magic until it glowed with a radiant light.

"I release you from it," Elizabeth whispered, shoving the ball back to where it had originally come from.

The bright sphere hit the dark-haired woman, throwing her back several feet. As she hit the ground, a dark mist rose from her sprawled form, coalescing above her unconscious body into a dark, demonic shape.

There were screams from several children as the dense cloud opened its maws and let out a howl of rage before dissipating.

As the last bit of dark magic disappeared, a clamor of panicked voices broke out among the tables.

Xander dropped to his knees by the unconscious woman's side, whose hair was now red, and quickly placed his fingers on her neck. He breathed a sigh of relief when he felt her pulse beating strongly.

"Buffy?" Dawn choked out as she tentatively took a step forward, only to stop as the cloaked figure of her sister held up a hand.

Taking advantage of the children's distraction, Elizabeth turned towards the dark-haired potions master.

"Severus, could you to take my friends to where we can speak in private?" she asked quietly.

Snape swiftly moved around the table and approached her.

"Are you all right, Elizabeth? You're not hurt?" he asked fervently, gently grasping her shoulders. He peered into her eyes with a look of concern on his face.

"I am unharmed, Severus," she answered, placing a hand over one of his and giving it a squeeze. "Could you take my friends out of here? They won't harm anyone now. I'll join you shortly – I have to…do something first."

"Something?" Snape asked, an eyebrow rising in question.

"They must not…remember," Elizabeth responded reluctantly.

"Can you do that? All of them?!" he asked incredulously.

"Yes. Now go, Severus, before any of the children try to leave," she urged.

He hesitated a moment before giving her a sharp nod.

"I'll take them to the potions classroom," he said, then spun away and strode towards the small group who had invaded Hogwarts in search of their friend.

After he briefly spoke to them, the group reluctantly followed the dark-haired man who had levitated and taken their unconscious friend with him, but not without looking one last time towards Elizabeth.

Dawn was the last to leave, and only after the young woman reassured her that she would join them shortly.

While the other occupants of the Great Hall were busy gawking at the unknown group of people, Elizabeth had been busy asking the castle to block all the entrances from any others trying to leave, which was a good thing, as a few students had tried to slip out to contact their parents about what had just happened.

As they made their displeasure known in an extremely vocal manner, Elizabeth turned towards the Headmaster and gave him a small curtsey.

"It is almost time for us to meet, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, but this…this you must not know yet," Elizabeth said, her voice tinged with regret.

She lifted her wand, which she had subtly drawn from her cloak, above her head. A glow quickly surrounded her, almost blinding those who watched. With a whispered '_Obliviate_', a massive light burst from the tip of her wand and swiftly spread across the room.

Dumbledore quickly said the counter-curse, but was stunned when it was gently swept aside by the young woman's spell. His last thoughts before the spell affected him, was amazement at the shear power Elizabeth held…and a spark of hope.

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After quietly slipping through the opening the castle had created for her in one of the Great Hall's walls, Elizabeth quickly made her way towards the potions classroom. With the short-cuts the castle was creating for her, she knew she would easily catch up.

The last door she went through opened a short ways from the door to the potions classroom. But before she even turned towards it, she heard voices coming from down the hallway, in the direction the potions master and her friends would come from.

"What are these Muggles doing here, Snape?! Don't you know this violates several Ministry rules?" a gruff voice said sharply. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't report you to the Auror division."

"It's none of your concern, Moody, and you would be wise to forget their presence here," Snape snapped back.

"If you won't give me any answers, then I'll have to take them in to custody and get them myself," Moody growled. "Even as an ex-auror, I still hold the power to protect the wizarding world as I see fit, Snape!"

Elizabeth hurried towards where the voices were coming from.

"You'd regret it, Moody. These children are protected by someone you wouldn't want to mess with!"

"And who would that be, Snape? Dumbledore?" Moody drawled. "In matters of security, I hold more power than him. You may as well hand them over now, and save yourself the trouble."

"No, not the Headmaster," Snape smirked.

"Then who?"

"Me," Elizabeth said firmly as she rounded the corner that had hidden the group from her eyes.

With a quick '_Stupify_', Elizabeth knocked the odd-looking man unconscious.

After he had fallen to the floor, she quickly obliviated him, then called up a house-elf. Dobby personally answered.

"Great Googally Moogally!" Xander squawked, throwing himself back against a wall.

Elizabeth whispered instructions to the small creature, who nodded, then grabbed hold of the unconscious man and disappeared.

"Dobby's taking him to his quarters, and will leave him there to let the spell wear off," Elizabeth said to Snape, then gestured him to continue heading towards the potions room.

"Bu…," Dawn began, but was interrupted by the cloaked woman.

"Not here."

She gestured the group to follow.

Once they entered the potions room, they saw that the dark-haired man had placed their unconscious friend on a conjured mattress. Elizabeth quickly joined him as he was checking on the woman's condition.

"Will she be all right?" Snape asked.

"She will be unconscious for several hours, Severus – she had a considerable amount of power running through her, which was then ripped out. When I sent the magic back at her, it was to remove the dark power from her, and drive it away before it could harm anyone else. Her body is in quite a bit of shock, but she'll recover."

Snape nodded his head in understanding, and stood to face the quiet group who was halfway down the aisle of desks, looking at the young woman with hopeful expressions.

"Is it really you, Buffy?" Dawn whispered tearfully, taking a step towards the young woman.

Elizabeth removed her veil and pushed back the hood of her cloak.

"Hi Dawnie," she said softly, giving her sister a gentle smile.

"Buffy!" she sobbed, running towards her sister.

"No!" Buffy shouted, holding her hands out to stop the young teen from barreling into her. "Don't!"

Snape stepped in front of her, blocking the young teen from approaching his charge.

"Buffy?" the young brunette stopped in her tracks, a hurt look on her face. "Why won't you let me…we thought you were dead…we just found you…why can't I touch you? Why didn't you call us? Didn't you want to be with us anymore? With me?"

"I couldn't Dawnie…" Buffy began, but was interrupted by the upset young teen.

"You didn't, did you?! That's why you never called us, isn't it? You were given a new life away from the Hellmouth, and didn't want to come back…even for me," she sobbed as she ran back up the stairs towards the door of the room.

"Dawnie! I couldn't come back…not at first. I wasn't here!" Buffy called out desperately to her sister's fleeing back.

Her words made the young teen stop in her tracks, and she swung back to face her angrily.

"We thought you were dead! We had a body and everything!!" Dawn yelled. "Where were you that you couldn't let us know you were alive?! Where?!!"

While her sister was yelling at her, Buffy had maneuvered herself around Snape's protective form, and was struggling with the clasp of her cloak.

The dark-haired man, seeing her difficulty, helped her remove it, then stepped back with the cloak firmly in his hands. A sad look momentarily crossed his face before it went back to its normal bland expression.

"I was in a place where I had no way of contacting you, Dawnie," Buffy whispered painfully as she took a step towards her.

With that, her body began to glow and she unfurled her wings, stretching them out to their full width.

Dawn dropped to her knees, stunned.

"Oh God…" Xander choked out.

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Giles sat quietly as David drove them back to his flat.

When they were finally ensconced in the small den, with well-filled snifters in hand, Giles broke his silence.

"She's alive, David…somehow she's alive."

"How is that possible? You saw her die…you had a body to bury," the man replied, confused.

"I-I don't know," Giles stuttered.

"Are you sure? Could your friend be wrong?"

"It's possible…"

Giles set his glass on the side table next to his chair and stood abruptly.

"…but we can find out. Do you have any maps, David?"

David stood and swiftly made his way to the other side of the desk in the mid-sized room. Setting his tumbler down, he quickly began opening drawers and pulling out the requested items.

The two men opened them up and spread them on the floor, moving furniture out of the way when necessary.

"Do you have anything that belonged to her? To use as the focus?"

"No, I don't," Giles looked crestfallen.

He sat heavily in one of the chairs, dropping his hands into his lap. As his head bent down in defeat, his eyes fell onto an onyx ring encircling the pinky finger of his right hand. His eyes widened, and he jumped up.

"We can use this!"

"But that belongs to you, Rupert…I don't think it will work."

"Yes, it will! The ring represents my duty towards her and, in a way, states that **_I_** belong to her!" Giles said as he twisted the ring off his finger with some difficulty.

Quickly tying the band to a length of twine, the two men began the process of elimination, unknowingly mirroring the actions of the Scooby gang. Though they had the advantage of knowing that Buffy was possibly in the UK, they still went through each map to confirm it.

"This doesn't make any sense!" Giles growled, running a hand through his hair. "They said she was here, the dousing confirms it…but why won't it pin her down to an exact location?! Xander said something about a hidden magical community…do you think that might have something to do with it?"

David was quiet, looking slightly uncomfortable.

Having caught his friend's expression, Giles pinned him with a fierce gaze. "You know something! Tell me!"

"Rupert…"

"Tell me, dammit! She's _my Slayer_, David!" the younger man shouted.

"The Council extracted my promise to not speak of it when I accidentally found out, Rupert…"

"You said you don't have any more ties with them!" he growled, before continuing with a fierce whisper, "She's like a _daughter_ to me, David…please…"

Seeing the pained expression on his friend's face, the ex-Watcher sighed, shaking his head. "Very well…but it goes no further than this room, understand?"

Giles gave him a sharp nod.

David took a moment to gather his thoughts, then began to speak.

"There _is_ a magical community, one with which the Watcher's Council was once aligned…"

The older man told what he knew, but considering that the Watcher's Council no longer had any contact with said magical community, the information was both old and sparse.

"That's all I know…I swear, Rupert. It's been a very long time since there was any contact between our two organizations – I don't think anyone even knows how to reach them anymore…I'm sorry."

Giles wiped a hand down his face. "Then I suppose we can only wait for the children to contact us again."

David shook his head sadly. "If they survive."

"What do you mean?!" Giles said fiercely, his head whipping up to glare his friend.

"They forced their way in, Rupert…using dark magic…how do you think their Ministry will react?"

Giles paled.

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"Oh God…" Xander choked out.

"Not quite, Xander," Buffy said with a small smile before turning back to her sister. "Dawnie…I'm sorry."

Dawn sobbed, sitting back and pulling her legs up in front of her. She wrapped her arms around them, her tears falling onto the denim to leave dark wet stains.

"You died…you really did – I thought…you were here…we found you…I thought you left…but you really did die," the young teen whispered brokenly into her lap.

"Oh Dawnie," Buffy whispered gently, moving up the steps to where her sister sat crying softly.

As the blonde woman passed a silent and, for once, subdued Spike, he could smell her unique scent…and something else...something that caused a deep yearning within his demon. He swallowed past a lump in his throat as he realized that it really was her…and that she was now even further from his already far reach.

Buffy knelt on the step below the one her sister sat on.

"It's really me, Dawn…though I didn't know it until almost two weeks ago," the blonde woman said gently. "But explanations can wait…I think you need something else right now."

Dawn looked up to see Buffy reaching out a glowing hand to her. As the teen desperately went to grasp it, her sister pulled back a little.

"Gently, Dawn...I'll explain later, but my sense of touch is a little tender right now."

The young brunette tentatively reached out again, and softly grasped her sister's outstretched hand – her eyes closed in pain as she sobbed again, finally being able to physically confirm that Buffy was really there.

Buffy moved up to the same step, and gently wrapped her arms around the stricken teen. The younger girl clung to her hand like it was a life-line, and dropped her head into Buffy's lap. The gossamer wings curled to engulf the two girls in a warm glowing embrace, as Buffy stroked Dawn's hair, making soothing noises to the crying teen.

Xander scrubbed at his eyes with his sleeve, sniffling at the highly emotional scene. Yeah, he was a guy…but who _wouldn't_ cry when they found out their friend…their _family_ was still alive. His world felt right again.

Dawn's weeping eventually tapered down, allowing Buffy to finally greet her best friend…someone who was also in need of reassurance. The two girls rose from their place on the steps, and descended to where Xander stood shuffling uncertainly, hands shoved in his pockets.

"Xander."

"Hey Buff," the dark-haired young man said with a rough voice, giving her a longing look.

"I won't break, Xand…just be gentle," Buffy said, holding out her arms to him.

With a muffled sob, Xander stepped into her embrace, gently clinging to her in desperation. Even though everything had pointed to her being alive…even seeing her with his own eyes...he still had had his doubts – doubts which were finally driven away in the warmth of her arms. He sobbed again.

"Shhhh…it's OK, Xand…I'm really here," Buffy said soothingly, stroking his back.

"I thought I lost you for good, Buff...we…I…why didn't you come back?" Xander asked, his voice choked with emotion.

"In a minute, Xand," Buffy said as she stepped back, releasing her best-friend from her embrace. Holding his hand, she continued, "There's someone else who needs me right now."

Buffy looked over at the quiet blonde man sitting on a stool at one of the desks in the front of the room. Xander's expression hardened slightly.

"Buffy…"

The blonde woman reached out a hand and placed her fingers over his mouth, silencing him.

"Look at what I am, Xander, and know that I see who he truly is…what he has become. His past is filled with pain and violence – but his present and future can be different…if we help him. He _has_ changed, Xand…and in him, you can find another friend, but only if you allow yourself to," Buffy said softly as she touched the young man's cheek. "Help him, Xander…for me."

Xander hesitated a moment before he slowly nodded his head. "I'll try."

Buffy smiled at him as she dropped her hand. She turned to the blonde vampire who sat with hunched shoulders, silently withdrawn from the close-knit group. Smiling slightly, she quietly walked over to him.

"Spike."

"Hey, pet…see you got some new accessories," the blonde haired man blithely said, waving at her still-present wings. He was kind of surprised that her presence didn't hurt him, much less kill him…especially given what he was.

"Of course my presence won't hurt or kill you, Spike," Buffy said knowingly.

"Wha…?" Spike said, a surprised expression crossing his face.

Buffy leaned forward, her face just inches from his, and captured his eyes with her own.

"Because I accept who and what you have become. Know this…if you continue on the path you have chosen freely…you will one day be welcomed among us."

Spike looked stunned at her words.

The blonde woman reached out and cupped his cheek.

"Your journey will be a long one, my friend, but I have been allowed to bestow a gift upon you," Buffy said softly as she raised herself up on her toes to place a kiss on his forehead. "You are welcomed you back into the light."

The blonde woman reached out to remove the large cloak Spike was still wrapped up in. Turning towards the front of the room, she captured Severus' attention and gestured him to uncover one of the windows. The dark-haired man nodded sharply and, pulling out his wand, spoke a word as he gestured at a window. The drapes pulled back and the window opened, spilling the bright afternoon sun into the dark, dank room.

Buffy gently grasped Spike's hands and drew him up off the stool and towards the beam of light. He reluctantly let her draw him closer to something that was a major anathema to his kind. He hesitated at the edge of the brightness, giving her an uncertain look.

"Trust me, Spike," she said gently, capturing his eyes with her calm gaze.

Never letting his eyes wander from hers, he took a step forward…into the light.

He looked down at their clasped hands. Upon seeing the light flowing over his fingers and causing no harm, his body began to slightly shake. He closed his eyes and lifted his head to let the sunlight grace his features.

A tear leaked out from under his lids as he spoke.

_"How like a winter hath my absence been_

_From thee, the pleasure of the fleeting year!_

_What freezings have I felt, what dark days seen,_

_What old December's bareness everywhere!"_

Buffy watched as the vampire struggled to regain control of his runaway emotions. She cupped his cheek and smiled at him when he opened his eyes again.

"In the beginning there was nothing. God said, 'Let there be light!' And there was light," she said gently, then gave him a quirky grin. "There was still nothing, but you could see it a whole lot better.

Spike barked out a laugh. Using his free hand, he swiped away the moisture from his eyes.

"You may be all winged and glowy now, but you still have your sense of humor, eh pet?" he said, giving her a grateful look.

"I'm still me, Spike, just a little…different now," Buffy responded smilingly.

Dawn and Xander approached the two – the young teen was beaming at Spike through her tears.

"Sunlight looks good on you, Spike," Dawn grinned at him.

"Feels good too, nibblet."

Xander stuck his hands in his pockets and shuffled his feet. He gave the vampire a fleeting smile, "Figures you'd get sunlight-friendly in a country where it rains all the time."

Spike snorted in amusement. "Actually…it's fitting. This is the same country where sunlight was taken away from me – well, at least the same continent."

"Well…welcome back to the Land of Light," the younger man said with a quirky grin.

"Someone's been watchin' too much Stargate," Spike said, giving him a slight smile as he shook his head. "Am I gonna hafta take away your DVD's?"

"You can try, Deadboy Junior," Xander responded, giving him a slightly challenging look.

"Nah…it's better than the Star Trek quotes."

Xander hesitated a moment then tentatively stuck out his right hand. "In any case, it'll be good to have another guy on the team who can watch out for Dawnie during the daytime."

"It'll be good to be there, Whel…Xander," Spike responded solemnly as he took the younger man's hand.

As the two men shook hands, Buffy looked around for the last member from Sunnydale. She caught sight of Anya a few feet away from the silent potions master – her arms were wrapped around her waist as she stared at the ground, a sad expression on her face.

"Anya," Buffy called out to her softly.

The young woman cringed, but didn't look up. Buffy walked over to her, briefly detouring to the expressionless potions master.

Placing a hand on his arm, she asked him, "Severus, would you please make a little sitting area for us here? I don't think Spike is quite ready to leave the sunlight yet, and I have a lot of explaining to do."

"Of course, Elizabe…Bu…" Snape stumbled over what name to use for his charge.

Buffy smiled at him as she raised her hand to touch his cheek. "I'm still your Elizabeth, Severus."

Severus' gave her a small smile. He nodded his head and moved to where the group from Sunnydale was standing, taking a moment to check on the unconscious woman first.

Buffy moved to stand in front of the ex-Vengeance Demon.

"Anya," she said softly. When the older woman didn't respond, Buffy sighed softly. "Oh Anya…I have wronged you in so many ways."

Anya's head shot up as she gave the blonde woman an incredulous look. "Wha…?"

"I've closed you out for so long that you don't feel like you belong with us…that you aren't part of our group. I'm so sorry."

"I-it's OK…" the woman began.

"No it's not, Anya. You've changed so much over the last year, and I refused to see it. I can only hope you can forgive me for not being more open with you…more welcoming," Buffy said softly.

Anya gave her an uncertain smile.

"I hope we can change that in the future…become friends," the blonde woman said quietly.

"I-I'd like that, Buffy," Anya said hopefully.

Buffy stepped a little closer to the woman, and gave her a tentative hug, which was returned just as hesitantly.

When they stepped back from the hug, they exchanged smiles.

Buffy lowered her voice so that Anya was the only one to hear her next words.

"It will be some time before we can strengthen our friendship Anya…I won't be going back yet."

"But…"

"I'll be explaining to everyone in a few minutes, Anya, but I need you to promise me something," Buffy said as she grasped the other woman's hand. "I need you to take care of Dawnie for me – not as a guardian, I'll be asking someone else to do that. I just need you to…be her friend…the other female of the group – I don't think Willow's going to be able to be there for her…she has too many problems to take care of. Can you do that for me?"

Anya hesitantly answered, "I-I don't think I'd be that good…"

"Yes you can…don't be afraid of your human side, Anya. Give her a hug when she looks like she needs one…let her know that she can talk to you…just be there for her."

"I-I'll try."

Buffy gave her another hug, then drew her towards the rest of the group who were now sitting on couches that Severus had transfigured. The potions master, himself, stood a couple of feet away from the area.

When she drew close enough to him, Snape said, "I'll leave you and your friends to your…discussion, Elizabeth."

She placed a hand on his arm to stop him from moving away. "Please stay, Severus."

He hesitated a moment, then gave her a reluctant nod, then watched in silent awe as she allowed her wings to retract into her body, and the glow surrounding her dim – he may have seen it happen before, but it was a sight that no one…no _human_…could ever get used to.

Buffy pulled him to the couch that was more in the shadows, knowing that he preferred the darkness that allowed him to hide himself to some degree…something she hoped would change in him some day. Buffy sat next to him, and Dawn quickly took the space next to her, and carefully curled up to her, grasping her sister's hand.

On the couch opposite, Spike sat in the sunniest spot, watching in fascination as the light played over his body, leaving Anya and Xander to take the other two places next to him.

Tearing his gaze from his sunlit hands, Spike quirked an eyebrow at the blonde woman across from him and asked, "Care to let us in on what's the what, Slay…Buffy?"

"He knows everything, Spike…you don't have to watch what you say," Buffy responded, giving the vampire a smile. "I guess introductions should be the first order of business."

The young blonde quickly introduced everyone.

"So can I call ya Sev?" Xander quipped.

"No."

Buffy lightly smacked the potions master on the arm. "Be nice, Severus."

Snape rolled his eyes, causing Dawn to snicker.

With a small smile of her own, Buffy said, "Xander, calling him 'Sev' is like one of us calling you 'Alex'…it's Severus' preference to be addressed by his full name."

"Got it. Note to self…do not shorten the name of someone who can turn me into a really small animal that can be stepped on," Xander joked, flashing a small grin in the dark-haired man's direction.

Snape returned the gesture with an amused nod.

"So _Slayer_…care to tell us why you were sent here instead of back to Sunnyhell?" Spike asked, his curiosity overriding his patience.

Buffy's amusement fell away as a solemn expression took its place.

"I think…I think we need to explain _how_ it happened first, Spike, and Severus is the only one here who knows that. Severus?"

The potions master hesitated a moment, then began to tell the tale of just how Elizabeth had arrived in the Wizarding world, carrying the story through until the young woman had regained consciousness. Buffy picked up the story at that point and, with a few interjections by Snape, finished it through the Scoobies' appearance at Hogwarts.

Everyone was silent for a moment as they let the information soak in.

"So…" Xander began slowly, "…you're telling me that we buried a _bench_."

Spike let out a snort of amusement. "Out of everything, that's the first thing you came up with?"

"I'm just having a hard time getting over the fact that we had a funeral for Pinocchio-etta," Xander said, floundering.

Dawn giggled.

The blonde vampire rolled his eyes before turning back to Buffy, "So…why here, Slayer?"

"Because they need me," Buffy responded softly. "And before you ask…I don't know what for yet."

"Then you're not coming home yet, are you?" Dawn asked tearfully.

"I'm afraid not, Dawnie," the blonde haired woman replied regretfully as she stroked her sister's hair softly. "To be honest, I don't know _how_ long I'll be here."

"Can I stay too?" the young teen looked up at her with a hopeful expression.

"I'm afraid that's not possible, Dawnie. Other than Severus and the house-elves, no one else knows who or what I am…your being here would cause too many question to be asked, and make me more vulnerable than I already am."

"But what about the Hellmouth, Buff…you're needed there too – the Buffybot was trashed, and the bad guys now know that Sunnydale is unprotected," Xander said in a worried tone.

"He's telling the truth, pet…only Red's use of dark mojo kept the city from becoming an all-you-can-eat buffet a few days ago – we try to do what we can, but a Slayer's needed to keep a lid on things," Spike interjected.

"Elizabeth is still too vulnerable – if she returned with you, she would only go back to die…again," Snape said flatly.

The Scoobies stared at him in disbelief.

"He's telling the truth – at the moment, I couldn't fight off a fluffy kitten if I wanted too," Buffy said ruefully.

"But you're getting better, right?" Xander asked anxiously. "And as soon as you do, you can come back…"

What part of 'she's needed here' don't you understand?" Snape bit out.

"But she's needed back in Sunnydale too!" Xander countered angrily. "Buffy's the only person who can keep the vampires and demons under control, not to mention the fact that she has a little sister to take care of – and we're her _friends_…we need her too. You're practically asking us to cut off our right arm…"

"You need…they need…everyone needs!" Snape snapped out. "What about what _Elizabeth_ needs!"

"**_Buffy_** needs to be with us!" the dark-haired man shouted back.

"So she can die for you again?! Your words speak deeply of your selfishness!"

Xander jumped up from the couch, fists clenched as he glared at the other man.

"And you're not?! The only reason Buffy would be needed _here_, is as the Slayer – and _you're_ asking her to die for a world that she has no ties to!" he countered scathingly.

Snape swiftly stood, towering over the younger man as he bit out, "I did not ask that she be sent here! She was placed in our care by a higher power! The only thing I _ask_ of her is to get well…and to allow me to protect her _as she asked me to do_!"

"Enough!"

The two men broke off their glares and turned to where the shout came from. They quickly took a step backward at the fury emanating from the small blonde – the glow surrounding her pulsed in time with her anger.

"Buffy…" Xander began hesitantly.

"Sit down, Xander," Buffy responded firmly.

Snape smirked.

"You too, Severus."

The smirk was wiped from his face as a look of uncertainty flashed through his eye. Buffy laid a calming hand on his forearm and gave him a slight smile.

When the two men reclaimed their seats, Buffy moved to stand at the end of the couches in the space between the two.

She took a moment to gather her thoughts, then began to speak.

"I was allowed to be brought back for several reasons…some I know, some I have yet to find out. If those reasons didn't exist, I would have stayed where I was… at least until Willow's spell ripped me from there," Buffy pinned the younger man with a knowing gaze, "Could you have lived with that, Xander? Knowing you took me from my peace?"

Xander paled.

"You can't have everything your way, Xand. I _am_ needed here…much more than I am back in Sunnydale. And, as far as I know…it's not to die for _anyone_."

"But what about the people you're supposed to protect there? It's going to end up a slaughterhouse!"

"And what about the people here? Did you even see the room full of _children_ when you burst in? _They_ are the future of this world, and I was sent here to help protect that future."

"But…"

"The Powers are not asking me to exchange one life for another, Xander…you forget, I'm not the _only_ Slayer," Buffy interrupted softly.

"Wha…? Oh no…nonononono!" Xander said frantically waving his hands in front of him. "And can I say an elephant-sized NO! She's majorly wacked! And you want her to take your place?"

"People change, Xander."

"In jail?"

"She's had nothing to do _but_ think for the past two years…and decide how she would change when she gets out. It's time for her to put her thoughts into actions."

"I'll help her," Anya said quietly.

"Ahn?" Xander said, looking at his girlfriend in surprise.

"I think I'm the only one here that would really understand how hard it is to change…" Anya responded, ducking her head shyly.

Buffy smiled softly in the ex-Vengeance Demon's direction.

"And she can live with me," Dawn offered.

"Are you sure, Dawnie?" Buffy asked, surprised that her sister would offer something like that, considering that the last time she was around, the dark-haired Slayer had threatened their mother.

"She'd be much better than Willow is now," the brunette teen scowled in the direction of the unconscious red-head. "And Spike can stay there too…we'll have a house full of second-chancers."

"And Giles," the blonde woman said smilingly as she re-took her seat.

"Giles? But he moved back to England, Buff…after you…" Xander trailed off.

"I know," Buffy responded with a grimace. "But who else can get everyone started on the right track. Besides, it'll only be temporary…just until Dawnie can pass her GED so she can come out here in the summer."

"Really?!" Dawn squealed.

"Yeah, brainiac…you're already taking some Junior-level courses, so it should be a cinch for you to graduate early. You're going to have to study hard in a short period of time, you know, but I'm sure Spike and Giles will get you through it. Think you can do it?"

Dawn got a stubborn look on her face as she nodded emphatically. "If it gets me here sooner, you know I will."

Buffy stroked her sister's cheek as she smiled at her. Turning back to her best-friend, she gave him a serious look.

"Can you give Faith a chance, Xan? She's going to need all the support she can get."

Xander let out a heavy sigh as he said, "Yeah, I can…God knows we all had our moments when we needed a second chance – myself included. How's she going to get sprung, though? Her term isn't exactly up, Buff."

"Her age, and the fact that she was put into an adult facility without a trial or legal counsel," Buffy stated confidently. "I'm sure the Watcher's Council has some really aggressive lawyers who can use that to their advantage."

They all looked agog at her.

"What? I can use my brain when I need too."

Dawn snorted, causing Buffy to smack her in the arm.

"Be nice, Dawn…I'm learning magic, you know."

The brunette teen gulped.

Snape chuckled, "Magic usually runs in the family, Elizabeth – considering she is _made_ from you, it is highly likely she is a witch also…and, if your sister is as intelligent as you say, she may quickly surpass you in that regard."

Dawn perked up. "I have magic too?"

The dark-haired potions master pulled out his wand. Quickly muttering a spell, he pointed it at the young teen. A soft red glow lit the end of the wand, then sputtered out after Snape ended the spell.

"Yes."

"Cool!" Dawn grinned before turning a sly smile towards her sister. "You were saying?"

"I was saying that, if you aren't nice, I'll turn you into a frog before you even have a chance to pick up a wand, much less _learn_ any magic," Buffy countered with a smug smile.

"You wish!"

"No, I only do that when I want to call on a Vengeance Demon."

Snape looked at the people on the other couch, "Are they always like this?"

Xander gave him a rueful smile, "No…they're usually _much_ worse."

"Hey!" Buffy and Dawn yelped.

Snape chuckled.

"Just for that, I'm gonna start butchering the English language whenever I talk to you, buster," Buffy scowled at the man at her side, poking a finger into his chest.

Gently grabbing her offending appendage, Snape smoothly replied, "Not if your vocal cords are missing, my dear Elizabeth."

Buffy gaped at him as everyone laughed.

"Hey Buff…did you know you've got a slight British accent now? Should we start giving you tea for your birthday?" Xander said with a grin.

"Spike could teach you how to say 'Bloody Hell' properly," Dawn giggled.

"And we could even ask the Watcher to send you some tweed outfits, pet," Spike chuckled evilly.

"You guuuuys!" Buffy pouted. "This is all your fault, Severus!"

"Isn't payback a lovely thing, Elizabeth?" Snape arched an eyebrow at her, as his lips twitched.

Buffy glared at him.

"Speaking of ol' Rupes, Buffy…what do you want us to tell him?" Spike asked, turning the conversation back to their original topic. "He knows you're alive…I had the Whel…Xander call him when Red was distracted."

The blonde woman sighed heavily. "Everything is going to depend on him, Spike. I need him…I need _all_ of you…to continue on as if I was still…gone. The Council _can't_ know I'm back, or they'll expect me to pick up right where I left off…I can't do that – and right now, the Council is high up on my 'to destroy' list."

"What did they do _now_?" Xander asked grimly.

"Slayers come from wizarding families, Xander, and for the past thousand years, the Council has denied _all_ the potentials their rightful place in this world, not to mention magic as another weapon to fight with."

"What?!" all the Scoobies said in shock.

Buffy nodded her head. "And not just the potentials, but _hundreds_ of Watcher's too. Severus put together a list of students, within the last fifty years, who had their Hogwarts letters rejected by someone connected to the Council of Watchers…I recognized several names of my predecessors from the Watcher's diaries I've read. I'm assuming that, even though there's a school in the U.S. now, potential Slayers receive their letters from Hogwarts, due to the Watcher's Council being located in England, and the fact that they're still in charge of the Slayer line."

"But how do you know that Watchers got the shaft too?" Xander asked, his face pinched as an ugly thought niggled in the back of his mind.

Buffy gave him a pained look.

"Rupert was listed, wasn't he, pet?" Spike asked softly.

"Yes."

The Scoobies sat there silently for a moment, each of them thinking about the wonderful man they knew, and how he was denied a part of his heritage.

"How could they do that?" Dawn said as she sniffed tearfully.

"Power, nibblet," Spike responded, exchanging a knowing glance with Buffy. "It's all about the power – who has it, and who will be denied it. I bet you anything that only those who are highest up in the Council…and those who are being molded to take their place…have been allowed to attend this school. Rupes told me he was considered a 'bad seed' from the start – it's only natural that they would have kept kicking him down…denying him the means to gain any power that could threaten their methods. Hell…they sent him to Sunnydale with the thought that he'd die quickly, right alongside the Slayer here – that should tell you something."

"He needs to know," Xander said softly.

"Yeah," Buffy said softly. "Which is why I'm only going to ask him to stay in Sunnydale temporarily…both he and Dawn can come back here and learn together. I need him to help Dawnie finish High School, in case she wants to attend a regular university at some point."

"After learning magic, I doubt it," Dawn replied emphatically.

"It's not an option, Dawn…you graduate, _and_ take the SATs, or you don't get to come this summer," Buffy responded firmly.

Dawn whined. "But I've only got a little over two months, Buffy!"

"Don't worry, nibblet…I'll help. Took 'em myself about a decade ago, and got a 1430…not too shabby as I hear it," Spike offered.

Everyone stared at him.

"What? So I was bored one weekend," the blonde vampire muttered, slightly blushing.

"Didn't you get a 1430 too, Buffy?" Dawn asked, a giggle bubbling up from her throat.

"Does that mean you're going to be a vampire when you grow up?" Xander snickered, also finding the humor in the situation.

"Funny, guys…funny," Buffy said as shook her head in amusement. A moment later, she stiffened.

"Elizabeth?" Snape asked in a worried tone.

"They've been found," she whispered. "The aurors were looking for them, and followed their trail here."

"Your friends?" the dark-haired man asked swiftly.

At her nod, Snape abruptly stood. "You must leave _now_! Your friend must have triggered the alarms when she opened the door to the Wizarding world."

"Uh…it might have something to do with hijacking the Hogwarts Express, too," Xander said uncomfortably.

Snape stared at him agog for a moment, then shook himself out of his surprise. "You must tell me that story some day, Mr. Harris. But, if you don't want to place Elizabe…_Buffy_ in danger, you cannot be found here."

"I'm all for not getting arrested by the magic bobbies, but where can we go…Willow's the one that got us here."

The potions master stalked over to his desk and grabbed a blank piece of parchment.

Turning back to the nervous group, he barked out, "Where did you enter from?"

"Um…a place called Kings Cross at the train station in London."

Nodding his head, Snape quickly spoke a spell over the parchment, then rolled it up and tucked it into his robes.

"Come! Say your good-byes quickly!" the older man barked out.

"Buffy?" Dawn whispered.

"It's time for you to go, Dawnie…it'll only be for a couple of months. I'll try and write to you, OK?" the blonde woman answered softly as she hugged her sister.

Buffy and Xander quickly exchanged a tearful hug.

"Xand, just let Giles know what about what happened with me, OK? I'll send him a letter in a few hours and tell him about…" Buffy trailed off.

"Got it, Buff…wasn't looking forward to explaining that one, myself." Xander said, relieved.

She gave him another quick hug before turning to the potions master.

"Severus?"

"Can you find out where they are, Elizabeth? I need to take your friends outside the wards surrounding Hogwarts for the portkey to work, preferably into the forest on the east side, where they won't be seen."

Buffy nodded and closed her eyes. After several seconds, she spoke, "A few are on the main floor at the south entrance, some are on the second floor, north…the rest are in the Headmaster's office…which faces east."

Snape swore.

"Can we go west?" Xander asked, giving a confused look at Buffy as he wondered how she knew all that.

"Lake," Buffy and Snape said at the same time.

"Most of the Headmaster's windows are too high, Elizabeth…the only one they could possibly see out of is the one on the observation level," the potions master said.

"I'll take care of it," Buffy said calmly.

Snape nodded sharply, then grabbed some robes hanging inside the door of his office. He handed them to Scoobies.

"Put these on…you should be able to pass for some of the older students," the dark-haired man said shortly before heading over to the unconscious red-head with the last robe.

He covered her as best he could, then whispered the charm to levitate her, following Buffy as she stepped through an opening that the castle had made for her – the others quickly followed.

It only took a few turns and one flight of stairs for the group to reach the castle-made exit on the east side. Snape strode through immediately, but the Scoobies paused for one last good-bye to Buffy, until only Xander was left.

"Xand…tell Giles that Willow opened up a door she won't be able to close completely again," Buffy said solemnly.

"Will she be OK?" he asked worriedly.

"She'll be fine…_if_ she guards that door and doesn't allow the dark magic to enter again."

"OK…that made the kind of sense that's _not_."

"Giles will understand, Xander…now go."

"I love you, Buff…you know that, right?" Xander said softly.

"And I love you right back, Xand-man," Buffy said tearfully.

She gave him one last hug, then pushed him outside, watching as he trotted to catch up with the rest of the group.

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"The trail leads here, I tell you!" Fudge growled.

Headmaster Dumbledore paused for a long moment, as if thinking.

"I assure you, Minister, there is no one currently within the castle walls that isn't supposed to be here…I do have a connection with Hogwarts, you understand, as have all Headmasters before me," Albus said calmly.

"You're positive?" one of the aurors asked.

"What about this _Miss Elizabeth_ I've heard about?" Fudge interrupted before the Headmaster could answer the auror's question.

"Miss Elizabeth has been given permission to stay here due to medical necessity, Minister. As you know, as Headmaster, I _am_ allowed to grant permission for someone to stay within the confines of Hogwarts, regardless of their lack of association to the educational premise of this castle."

"Just _who_ is she, Albus…you have to admit her presence here _is_ unusual."

"Miss Elizabeth's identity is for her alone to reveal if she wishes, Minister, and that is all I can say on the subject. She is causing no harm, has very little interaction with the students, and, as far as_ I_ am aware, has nothing to do with whoever you are looking for," Albus stated firmly.

Fudge felt like he was getting the run-around, but there was nothing to be done. Other than approaching the Board of Governors, more than half of which were Dumbledore supporters, his hands were tied. Even if he could somehow prod them into action, it was likely that the mysterious woman would be long gone by then…it was a known fact that the school's governors were notoriously slow-acting, unless someone was in immediate danger, such as the situation with the Basilisk almost two years ago.

"Very well, Albus…but I hope you don't mind if my people take a look around?"

"As you wish, Minister, but I would suggest you stay away from the North Tower if possible," Dumbledore said.

"Trouble?" one of the aurors asked.

"No, no…but I'm afraid Sibyll is in one of her frightful moods. You are welcome to search the tower, though you should be prepared to have your death predicted quite…colorfully."

One of the younger aurors must have been a recent graduate who had taken Divinations, because he chuckled before covering it up with a cough at the curious looks from his older co-workers.

"I'll…keep that in mind, Albus," Fudge said confusedly before he gestured for the aurors to follow.

Once they closed the door behind them, Albus let out a soft chuckle – he'd have to remember to ask Sibyll of her predictions about the Minister and his people…it should prove to be an entertaining topic that would last through supper.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"Oh my God…remind me _never_ to take that mode of transportation again! I think I'm gonna hurl every meal I've had in the last week," Xander moaned.

Spike snickered.

"And that, alone, tells me you are very much a Muggle, Mr. Harris," Snape said in mild amusement. "Though it surprises me that Ms. Emerson and Mr…Spike had no adverse effects – which leads me to believe that there is something unusual about them."

"Vampire here…though recently modified," Spike said offhandedly.

"Ah, yes – a magical creature, then. And Ms. Emerson?"

The woman gave him a nervous smile as she said, "Ex-Vengeance Demon."

Snape stared at her in surprise. "We haven't seen one of your kind in a thousand years."

"I said **Ex**…**Ex**-Vengeance Demon. I'm human now…a fertile, pretty, PMS-prone female human who is capable of having lots of sex," Anya babbled anxiously.

The dark-haired man's mouth dropped slightly open in shock at her words.

"Yes, yes…my _previous_ co-workers stopped coming to your world because you kept turning them into strange animals," she continued prattling.

"I think he gets the idea that you're no longer a Vengeance Demon, Ahn," Xander said soothingly as he wrapped an arm around his nervous girlfriend.

Dawn giggled, as she leaned towards the potions master. "Mouth closed is more dignified, Professor Snape."

Snape's mouth snapped shut as he turned towards the teen. "Is she always so…"

"Blunt? Yeah, but we've all kinda gotten used to it. She's still adjusting to being a human again after 1100 years of being in the Vengeance business," Dawn said with a fond smile at the older woman.

"1100…" Snape trailed off in surprise.

"She looks good for her age," Dan giggled.

"Apparently so," he responded ruefully. "I must return to Hogwarts. Will you be able to find your way from here?"

"Yeah…we'll call Giles and let him know we're OK, and take it from there," Xander said. "Can you just…um…put Willow over there?"

Xander waved a hand at a nearby bench in the remote section of the train depot they had appeared in.

Snape gently lowered the red-head onto the flat surface before removing the robe from around her. The other Scoobies handed them their own robes.

An awkward moment followed before Xander broke the uncomfortable silence.

"Take care of her, OK? Buffy's…special – not only in her calling, but to many people."

"You have my word, Mr. Harris," Snape said sincerely.

Xander nodded his head at the older man, and watched him disappear into thin air.

"Right then…who's got some change so we can call the Watcher?" Spike said, ready to get going.

Everyone busied themselves by digging into their pockets.

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

The ringing of Giles' cell-phone broke the two men out of their reverie – they had been anxiously waiting to hear from the children they had spent the past several hours worrying about.

Fumbling the small mobile phone with shaking hands, Giles was finally able to press the correct button to accept the call. He lifted it unsteadily to his ear.

"H-hello?" Giles stuttered.

"Giles?"

"Oh, thank God, Xander! Where are you? Are all of you OK? Is…is Buffy…is she s-still…" the Watcher broke off, dreading to hear a negative answer.

"In order, Kings Cross station again…yes, kinda….and…and…" Xander broke off as he choked on a lump in his throat before finally whispering, "yes."

His face crumpling, the phone slipped from Giles' nerveless fingers as he dropped his head into his hands, letting out a sob.

A faint 'Giles? Giles?' could be heard as David picked the phone up from the floor. "Xander? Xander Harris? This is David, a friend of Rupert's – he's a little…caught up in his emotions right now. But I can't tell whether or not you found out _good_ information."

"Yeah…yeah, we did," a young male voice came over the line. "We need to see him…Giles. Where are you?"

David quickly gave him his address, repeating it a few times to make sure the young man had it down correctly. Once they had hung up, he turned to the man who was one of his oldest friends.

"Rupert? Rupert…the children will be here in less than a half-an-hour. Why don't you go upstairs – take a shower, and get into some fresh clothes."

Giles lifted up his head, swiping roughly at his tears as he said in a tremulous voice, "She's alive, David…alive."

"I heard, and if you don't want to look like hell when your children arrive, you'll do as I suggest."

Rising on shaky legs, Giles moved towards the stairs. Before he began his ascent, he turned and said, "Not a word to them, David…promise me."

"You have my promise, Rupert…it's apparent that there are greater powers at work here, and there must be a very, _very_ important reason, if the Council was not made aware of her return."

With a sharp nod, Giles climbed upwards with renewed strength.

A short while later, he returned to the main level, looking much better, if you managed to ignore the strain around his eyes.

The two men waited quietly, listening to the hall clock tick away the seconds…then the minutes.

At the sound of a car pulling up into the driveway, the two men shot to their feet, and hurried to the door. Giles pulled it open so roughly, it shuddered in its hinges. Both men stepped out onto the porch to watch the people exiting the black cab.

Giles quickly counted heads and realized that, if you discounted Spike, he was still one person short of his usual number – not to mention the fact that one of them was unconscious, and being carried by Spike. The late afternoon sun shone off her red hair…Willow.

The sun…sun! Spike…in the sun! Giles stood there in shock as he watched the blonde vampire stroll easily up to where the two men were gaping at the _vampire_ standing in the sun and not being burnt to a crisp.

Too many thoughts were turning over in Giles' head, and he felt faint.

"Giles!" Dawn shouted with a sob as she threw herself at the British man.

Giles' arms automatically wrapped around the young girl as she sobbed into his chest.

"Dawn," he whispered, bowing to place a cheek on the top of her head.

"Care to invite us in, Watcher? Red's appearance is deceptive…she's not exactly as light as she looks, you know," Spike said flippantly.

The Watcher looked up, surprised again to see sunlight playing over the blonde man's features.

He loosened his hold on the young teen, but didn't let go as he said, "How…? Are you still…?"

"A vampire? Chipped? Yes to both, if it makes any difference."

"But how…?"

"All in good time, Watcher…now, the invite? Or do I just drop her right here on the doorstep and let you drag her in?"

"Is she OK?" Giles finally shook himself from his shock, surprise, and generally overwhelmed feelings to take in the fact that one of his children was unconscious.

"Red'll be fine…just in a little shock over havin' the dark mojo bitch-slapped from her system. She should wake up soon – at least according to Bu…"

"Not here!" David said sharply. "Inside, where other ears cannot hear."

"Is that an invite?"

"Yes, yes…come in Spike. I've heard enough about you to know you are quite different than you used to be," David said waving him in.

"Much obliged," Spike said as he nodded his head at the other gentleman before hefting Willow up higher in his arms and walking into the flat.

Before Giles could even think of moving, Xander and Anya grabbed him in a hug from both sides. He could feel them trembling.

"Getting squished here!" Dawn squeaked from the center of the group hug.

Chuckling, the others broke apart, allowing the teen to breath easier.

"We've missed you G-man…Giles…it isn't the same without you," Xander said, sniffing away his tears.

Even Anya wasn't dry-eyed as she said, "Yes…I miss you saying 'Oh for Heaven's sake' every time I talked about Xander and I having sex."

Giles laughed at that, grabbing the young woman into another quick hug before shooing them all into the flat, and closing the door behind him.

He directed them to a room on the right, the pocket doors pushed fully into their compartments to leave a large opening for them to step through.

As they entered the room, they could see that Spike had laid the wicca on one of the couches, and was now settling himself into one of the side-chairs near her.

Seeing as how Dawn didn't want to let him go, Giles settled himself into the other couch, letting the young girl curl up to him.

For the moment, it was enough to know that Buffy was still alive, so he held off his questions as he gestured the others to take the remaining seats.

Once they were settled, he finally said, "I believe you all have a long story to tell me, but let me introduce you to your host first. This is David Merrick…one of the few _useful _Watchers that helped to train me."

"Merrick? As in Merrick Merrick? The name of Buffy's first Watcher?" Xander asked in surprise.

"He was my brother…his death was one of the main reasons I retired from the Council and no longer have any ties to them. Anything you say here will stay here, if that worries you."

"The name Merrick holds a lot of weight with Buffy…which, in turn holds a lot of weight with us. We're cool," the dark-haired young man responded seriously.

David nodded his head at that.

"You must be Xander Harris…Giles spoke very highly of you…of all of you," the older man said before turning to each Scooby member, "You are Dawn, sister to Buffy, and, if you don't mind my saying so, previously the Key. The red-head on the couch is Willow, a practicing wicca, and, if I remember correctly, a very talented computer genius. Spike I have heard many tales about, the most recent of which are highly irregular for _any _vampire, much less a former member of the Scourge of Europe. And last, but certainly not least, Anya Emerson, the Vengeance Demon that joined your group a couple of years ago."

"**Ex**-Vengeance Demon," the Scoobies said at the same time before laughing.

"My apologies, Ms. Emerson…**Ex**-Vengeance Demon…one who makes a lovely human, I must say," David said smilingly.

"Did you hear him, Xander? He called me lovely," Anya said happily as she tugged on Xander's sleeve.

"And you are, Ahn…you are," Xander responded, kissing her temple gently.

Anya glowed.

Giles cleared his throat. "Not to rush you lot, but…"

At Giles' look of hesitant longing, Xander hurriedly said, "I know, G-man…you need to know what's the what, not just that Buffy's…"

When Xander trailed off, Dawn picked the line of conversation up, giving Giles a tighter hug. "She's alive Giles…she really is."

The tension left Giles' body, and he raised a hand to rub at his eyes underneath his glasses.

"Tell me how…why…"

"Should start at the beginning Xander…the Watcher needs to know _everything_," Spike said waving a hand at Willow.

Xander paled and nodded shakily. Hugging Anya closer to him, he began from where he knew the beginning to be…shortly after Buffy's death.

The male Scooby left nothing out, even when it didn't paint a good picture of himself or the others. Giles _had_ to know the depth of their involvement, especially when it came to what the ramifications of their actions would have been, if it had worked – the Watcher would make the connection…and Xander knew he'd be angry.

When Xander got to where Buffy had revealed where she had been, he saw Giles pale and knew the Watcher had connected the dots to their earlier actions. The older man's face hardened as he looked over at the unconscious red-head, then dropped his gaze into his lap has he hugged Dawn closer to him.

Xander finally finished. While ecstatic that his best-friends was still alive, he was ashamed at his own actions in trying to get her back. He should have talked to Giles before he had left to England, and couldn't help but think of himself as weak.

Seeing the young man's look of shame, Giles hurried to reassure him. "You mustn't blame yourself, Xander…I know how stubborn Willow can be in certain situations."

"That's just it, Giles. I couldn't stand up to her…didn't want to. I couldn't even go to you…I-I wanted it too badly…wanted Buffy back. I'm as much to blame as she is."

"Don't kick yourself too hard, mate…Red kept a lot from you, including the type of spell she used – not your fault she started playing around with blood magic," Spike said as he played with his lighter. "That type o' mojo messes with the head."

Giles' head whipped up as he stared aghast at the blond vampire. "Blood magic?!"

"What other kind did ya think, Watcher? You may be more savvy with the magics but, barring a few rare spells, even _I_ know blood magic is the only thing that would bring back the dead without makin' 'em a zombie. Why'd you think Red kept it from me…from _you_ – we'd have stopped her, and she knew it."

"Xander?" Giles whispered.

"I didn't know, Giles! She never exactly told us what spell she was using…not even Tara…"

"'Course not. Glinda's into the Earth magics…too white for what Red needed to do. Not surprised that she ran afterwards, if ya ask me," Spike said with a smirk.

"Tell me Xander! Tell me everything you know about the spell!" Giles whispered fiercely.

"I-I don't know much, Giles…just that she needed the Urn of Osiris, and-and something called the Wine of the Mother," Xander said in an unsteady voice.

Giles swore. Abruptly standing up, he strode to the lone window in the room and leaned against the sill as he looked out, not really seeing anything. "Tell me everything you can remember about the spell itself, Xander."

"Sh-she called out to Osiris, put marks on her face with whatever was in the urn – it was too dark to see – then cuts appeared on her arms. Tara said she was being tested. Some ugly bumpy things were moving under her skin, then up to her neck. She says something about letting Buffy cross over, and the next thing I know, she's puking a snake," Xander said shakily, hugging Anya to him. "That's when the guy, Snape, appeared, making his own claim."

Giles removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes as he shook his head.

Spike whistled. "That's gonna cost her, Watcher. Bad enough it was blood magic, but to call on one of the old Gods? 'Specially the one who watches over the Dead? Price is gonna be high."

"How could she be so foolish!" the Watcher said, turning to glare at the still unconscious red-head in fury.

"That's Red for you, Watcher…too busy lookin' at the prize to read the fine print."

"What's going to happen, Giles?" Dawn said fearfully.

Giles sighed as he walked back over to the couch and pulled the young teen back into a hug.

"To be honest, I don't know, Dawn. Calling upon the favor of an old God requires an exchange. Regardless of the fact that the spell was not completed, Willow still used Osiris' power. It may be tomorrow, or it may be 30 years from now, but…she _will_ have to repay him. And the old God's are fickle – payment may be in the form of something small, or it may be the most important thing to the petitioner. Only time will tell."

"Buffy said something else to me before we left, Giles," Xander said softly. He gave the older man a pained look. "She said that Willow opened up a door she won't be able to close completely again, but that she'll be OK if she guards it and doesn't allow the dark magic to enter again. I hope you know what that means, 'cuz I sure don't."

"I was afraid of that," Giles sighed. "It means that because of Willow's use of dark magic, she's opened herself up to the dangers of being seduced by it…overcome by it. Buffy is right in saying that she will need to guard herself. Willow was lucky that, because of what Buffy has become – whatever that may be – the dark magic was removed without any adverse damage. But should Willow even let a little slip in again, it will tempt her, and it will be extremely difficult for her to come back from the precipice it will inevitably take her to."

"So dark magic is kinda like heroin? A little bit will make you crave more?" Xander asked slowly, trying to put Giles' words into an analogy he could understand.

"Exactly."

Everyone was silent as they thought that over, until Dawn yawned widely.

"Oh Heavens! You must all be tired after your ordeal, not to mention the jetlag you must be feeling," David exclaimed.

"If you're talking about that limp as a noodle, wet dishrag, brain implosion feeling, then I'd have to go with a resounding 'yes' to that," Xander said with a faint smile before turning a serious look towards Giles. "But there's still stuff that we need to talk about, Giles."

"There is?" the Watcher looked a little startled.

"Yeah, like the fact that Sunnydale is lookin' to become the next vacation-spot for every single demon and vampire around…you know, free food, run of the town, evil vibes from your friendly neighborhood Hellmouth, etc. – the Slayer suggested springin' the other one…says she's been shinin' her goody-two-shoes for when she gets out," Spike said off-handedly.

"Faith? She wants _Faith_ to take over?!" Giles asked, shocked.

"Surprised me too, G-Man. But considering that Buffy's all glowy-winged and everything, it's kinda hard to think she's lying about Faith having changed," Xander said with a slight smile. "Buffy suggests that the Council lawyers use Faith's age and her being put into an adult facility without a trial or legal counsel as a bargaining chip."

"_Buffy_ suggested that?"

"Yep."

"Are you sure she isn't possessed by a Knowledge Demon?" Giles asked with a smirk.

Dawn giggled.

"I can't guarantee that, G-Man, but I doubt anything with the word 'demon' attached to it would make you want to happily fall on your knees and start singing hymns," Xander said as he gave the Watcher a sad smile.

Everyone fell silent at that.

"Not to break up the 'Glory Be to God' moment, Watcher, but I suggest you spring the other Slayer right quick. The bots trashed, and the bad guys know Sunnyhell's a free-for-all," Spike said seriously. "We took the chance that things would be quiet after Red's killing spree to come here, but things are gonna get nasty soon."

"Very well…I'll call the Council this evening and see if I can make arrangements to have her released as soon as possible," Giles said with a sigh, and couldn't help but wonder if Faith's release was going to be a bad idea all around. "I don't believe there will be a Watcher who would be willing to work with her, though."

"Useless buggers anyway…" Spike muttered.

Dawn gave the older man a hesitant look as she said, "Buffy wants you to come back with us."

"I-I don't know, Dawn…" Giles started reluctantly.

"Just temporarily, Giles…for a couple of months…to help me finish school early, and to get Faith settled in, that's all," Dawn rushed on. "Buffy thinks she's going to be here for a while, so she wants both of us to come back afterwards, to…um…"

The young teen trailed off uncertainly.

"To what, Dawn?" Giles asked curiously.

Xander quickly stepped in at Dawn's flailing look.

"It's something that Buffy wants to explain to you herself, Giles…she said she's going to be sending you a letter in a few hours that will explain anything. I don't know how she plans to get it here that quickly, but with the things we saw, I'd have to say it will be a weird delivery."

Giles raised an eyebrow at that. "Would you care to give me an idea on what to expect, Xander?"

Waving his hands in front of him the male Scooby quickly said, "No way am I touching the subject with a ten-foot pole, G-Man. All you need to know is that it's BIG…and you'll probably end up more pissed-off than you've ever been."

The Watcher looked intrigued.

"I'm tired, Xander," Anya whined.

"Ditto," Dawn said with another yawn.

"I think that's our cue to head back to the hotel for some quality pillow-time," Xander said ruefully. He gave the older man a hesitant look. "Can we…can we see you again tomorrow, Giles?"

"Of course, Xander!" Giles rushed to reassure the younger man of his welcome. "I think that will be a good idea, as there will probably be a lot more to speak of, come morning."

"Will you be coming home with us, Giles?" Dawn asked in a small voice.

"We'll see, Dawn. Let me see what Buffy has to say, and we'll take it from there, OK?"

Dawn nodded.

"Uh…Giles?" Xander said as he gave the older man another uncertain look. "What should we do about Willow?"

The two men looked over at the unconscious red-head…one with anger, and the other with a little fear.

"Leave her here, Xander…I think I will be the only one able to deal with her once she wakes up."

Xander looked relieved, and gave the Watcher a thankful look.

While Xander and Giles were speaking, David had called for a cab, which arrived shortly.

The Sunnydalers piled into the black vehicle, and the two men watched as it drove off.

Turning to his friend, Giles said, "I hope you don't mind an additional guest, David. I'm afraid Willow won't be in the best frame of mind when she awakens, and I may be the only one who can keep her from running off half-cocked back into the magical world."

"Of course not, Rupert. Will you need anything for her beside a room?"

"Magical restraints?" Giles asked, giving him a rueful smile.

"I'm afraid I can't help you there, Rupert…my abilities in the field of magic end at the barrier around my home that stops magical eavesdropping," David said apologetically.

"I know, David – it's quite possible there wouldn't be anything that could restrain Willow, given the level of magic she is apparently able to do now. It frightens me, David…I don't wish to go through the loss of another one of my children," the Watcher said with a look of pain.

David clapped a hand onto his friends' shoulder, and moved to guide him back into the flat.

"Then we will have to hope Willow has the strength to let go of the power herself."

The two men re-entered the flat, Giles immediately going to the couch to lift Willow into his arms. David directed him to a room just off the top landing of the stairs and held open the door for his friend, then followed him in, moving ahead to pull back the covers of the bed.

Tucking the blankets around the young red-head, Giles gently smoothed her hair back from her face. With a last worried look, he left the room and closed the door behind him.

David led the way back to the den, but came up short. Giles almost crashed into him.

"If I'm not mistaken, I think Buffy's letter has arrived, Rupert."

Giles looked over his shoulder and gave a start. There, sitting on the back of one of the chairs, was a crimson bird the size of a swan – its claws, beak, and tail-feathers gleamed a bright gold.

"My word! Is that a phoenix?!" Giles breathed out in wonder. "I thought they were extinct?"

"Apparently not," David said reverently. "They must be hiding within the magical world, since they _are_ magical creatures.

Giles maneuvered himself around his friend, speaking tentatively to the colorful animal. "Hello? Where you sent by…by Buffy?"

The phoenix trilled a lovely sound in response, and held out one of his legs. The Watcher noticed an envelope tied to it.

"For me?" Giles asked hesitantly.

Again the phoenix trilled, bobbing its head up and down.

Giles slowly approached the beautiful bird, and reached out a hand to the envelope. He carefully untied it, making sure none of the string accidentally wrapped around the claw.

"Um…thank you," he said as he clutched the envelope to his chest.

The phoenix trilled a gentle song, and both Giles and David gasped at the feeling of hope and strength that washed over them. Then, unfurling its wings, the phoenix flapped them twice, lifting itself a few inches from the chair, and disappeared in burst of flame.

"My word!" David breathed out.

His words were met with silence, and he turned in time to see Giles sit heavily onto one of the couches as he stared at the envelope in his hands.

"Rupert?"

Lifting a pale face, Giles' eyes filled with tears as he replied, "I-it's from Buffy…even after hearing that she's still alive, I couldn't truly believe it until now. Seeing her writing with my own eyes…"

The emotional Watcher broke off as he held tightly to the only proof he had of Buffy's continued existence.

Seeing the condition of his friend, David made a quick decision.

"I believe I shall give you some privacy for this, Rupert. Should you need me, let me know."

So saying, the older Ex-Watcher exited the room. As he pulled the pocket doors closed, the last thing he saw was his friend wiping the tears from his eyes before turning the envelope over to open it.

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Good enough? Worth the wait?

What the hell is up with this site? I tried 20 different symbols, including punctuation marks, but it won't let me use them as scene separators anymore. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Sorry about all the zeros, but numbers were the only thing I could use.


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